If you don't like exercise, why not?

I think the long turn health benefits that people have highlighted are a major positive tbh. And, if we are in the business of being honest, it is vanity as much as health with me. I like having a flat stomach and a pretty good figure for someone of 40 (not claiming to be some sort of goddess btw...)

It does depend on your lifestyle. If was able to walk/cycle more then I would probably run and circuit train less. I drive 3 hours to and from work a day so I can't walk/cycle to work (4 days a week) and DH is away a lot of the time with the military. I still fit it in, even if it's 20 minutes circuit training at 6am.

I think we were made to sweat sometimes. And why would anyone wear make-up to exercise in? It's that sort of thing that creates barriers to young girls and women being strong and healthy. This preoccupation with our appearance at all times and 'fear' of looking like we have actually worked hard.
I do wear make-up at other times, but I think my body was designed to be physically challenged and sweaty more than it was to wear make-up. (Or to turn that on it's head, if I maintain my fitness and look quite toned, then I feel better when I put some make-up later because my overall appearance is better than it would be without exercise.)

No. But H not in till 7.30. Then I have more work to do.

our house isn't really big enough to run in... she does run around at the park, but that's it. Which is where the "erm, I think we should all be being more active" has come in.

Born are you a LP? If so I can see it would be difficult to find any time.

It really is essential to find something you like though. If not you just won't do it. I find that regular exercise actually gives me more energy. If I'm knackered after a day at work a run will often give me more energy

Ah yes, I remember those days 'walking' with a toddler - we used to take about 2 hours to walk the 2 miles home from school when dd first started, looking at every flower on the way.

The running around bit was at home, though

You say "make time" but you can't actually. Between 6am and 7.30pm I am at work or with my dc, who are too young to leave alone. Then I work some more, get ready for following day. By half nine I have half an hour to myself, then bed. In that half hour, I want to do something nice i.e. read!

I can't do without exercise, if I am extra stressed or on edge I have to go for a run to clear my head. I am slow, I sweat, I go purple but I NEED it, and it has to be tough. If it doesn't hurt and make my heart pound, I don't see the point. I like running, cycling, hill walking and am taking swimming improving lessons but my main sport is rugby. Not stylish or graceful but so addictive. Also like circuit type training.

A few people up thread mentioned big boobs as putting them off, I have 34Gs and have found the Enell sports bra to be brilliant, the Panache is also good if you don't like the ugliness of the Enell! Have also just bought a Freya Active swimming costume which seems to keep them under control.

I think the hills must help a lot!

My 3yo is the slowest walker in the entire world It took me 3hrs and much encouragement to get her to walk 1.5miles on Friday while we stopped to look at ever single pebble

That's an interesting question, TeWi - maybe it works for me because I live in Wales so there are rather a lot of hills to cycle up? Though when I had a three year old it seemed to involve rather a lot of running

Here's one good(or two)reasons I exercise. I see a lot of patients with dementia and very old ladies who have osteoporosis and curved spines. I do Pilates etc and a lot of stretching work after running with the main aim to keep being supple and flexible when I am older- I would hate to end up like some of my patients- its so debilitating to have such ailments. Then I went to a presentation by a professor working in the area of dementia and one of her big tips re avoiding dementia was exercise! That alone is enough to motivate me!!!!!

Boring, Boring, Boring. Don't like my makeup dripping off my face and that horrible boob and bottom sweat that drips down. Eurgh!

Don't like expending my energy to exercise when I can barely find enough to clean the house, weed the garden, chase after my child, pick up after my husband, do all the shopping, etc, etc after a full day of work.

I have to say although I don't enjoy exercising, I am acutely aware of the need for it and I'm quite pissed off with myself for not managing to get my arse off the sofa in the evening - I'm just soooo knackered!
It would really help if I could enjoy it.
Maybe I just need to try a few things until I find something I do enjoy, even a little bit!

But takver, I can't drive and walk everywhere, miles and miles every day. It helps keep me slim I imagine, but it doesn't make me fit - if I have to do anything high impact I get tired very fast.

I've decided to do C25k, and DH has just taken up football. It's not either of our favourite option (we'd both like to play basketball but there is no team/club here at all!) but we want to set a good example to our 3yo who is stonkingly lazy.

I have noticed that many dancers seem to live a long time.Do people on here think that that may be because they remain flexibible,exert themselves or something else.

I hate exercise for the sake of it - I just look at the people who get in their car and drive to the gym, or put their fancy bike in the back of their 4x4 and think WTF?

That doesn't mean I'm not fit - I cycle when I need to go somewhere, I walk the dog or walk if I want to go to the beach or whatever, I swim in the sea when its sunny, & my job is largely outdoors & active.

I just think if your life is so sedentary that you need to 'do exercise' in order to keep fit then you've got something mixed up somewhere. Even when I had an office job cycling to work, walking to visit friends etc meant I kept fit fine.

(Of course some people like playing footie/hockey/rugby or whatever, I don't, but I can see the point of that.)

One of the reasons I persist with it and pretend I enjoy it is that I want to set the DCs a good example and hopefully they will not grow up like me!

I took up sport a few years ago and love it now but it is hard to enjoy at first when you're so unfit it hurts in a bad way and you feel self-conscious
I did it to encourage dd to be sporty and to get a bit toned but now I do it cos I like it

I did that bokwa a few months ago though and it was one of the most hideous experiences of my life. I felt like I was 14 all over again - ungainly, out of rhythym, styleless etc

So the moral is - choose your sport wisely. I do thai boxing - who cares if you look graceful it's the punch you pack that counts (evil grin)

I love this thread too.Have learnt a lot in more ways than one.So thanks op.

Genius nickname there Unexpected!

I love this thread because people are being honest. I used to work in sports development and my JOB was to get more people playing sport.

Now I know why I wasn''t very successful!

I do exercise, but I don't like it. I will find any excuse not to, but I know it's good for me so I do it. I feel exactly the same as Starlight, I don't zone out, I spend the entire time fretting about all the useful stuff that isn't getting done.

The nearest I get to zoning out is while running, but I am still busy thinking about stuff, however I like being out in the fresh air, looking at peoples gardens, the view, smelling the flowers, whatever. I have given up listening to music while running because it detracts from those things and I'm not much of a music person anyway, however in the last month I have had to give up running, hopefully temporarily.

Swimming though, there's nothing to look at, no fresh air, the only plus points are low impact, which I need at the moment and not feeling sweaty. It may make me sound 14 but I hate feeling sweaty too, at least out running (in breathable fabrics) the fresh air minimises the sweaty feeling. The gym is hot, sweaty, smelly and full of loud music. Ditto classes.

I don't sweat at the gym.
And I lift 10k weights.
I do measured lifts, not go hell for leather.

curry tbf- everyone else has pretty much posted on this OP saying 'I like exercise because.....'. You came on and told us those among us who don't 'sound like they're 14'- which is why you're being 'responded to'.

Telling me that something is good for me might make me do it more but it won't make me like it more - which is what the thread was about.