How do I enjoy exercise?

This is fascinating :)

To be fair, at least you are still making an effort OP.
A lot of people would just give up once they didn't enjoy it, but you are persevering which is admirable.

If you can accept that it's something you don't love, but will do anyway because your body benefits from it then that's ok.

I think you said that you have plenty of time to exercise but often dont make it to the gym? How about working out at home, with online trainers on YouTube?

I like Growingannanas HIIT. She has many workouts of varying duration, both with weights/dumbbells and without. Maybe try one of her short tabata workouts wh8ch are less challenging.

Lucy Wyndham Read is also good for beginners as she has a lot of very short workouts. It's easier to commit to doing 7 or 10 minutes, and maybe you'll be energized enough to do more. I particularly like her Thighs & Glutes session, which is a bit more challenging but very effective.

Also, maybe you might enjoy working out with weights? Have a look at Caroline Girvan's EPIC Beginners series. Start with 3 or 4 kg dumbbells or whatever you find doable but challenging. I found her workouts life-changing!

What is it about the long distance cycling that you really enjoy? Is the enjoyment the anticipation, whilst doing and/or afterwards?

Getting a peloton bike has been life changing for me. I save the commute time to the gym and it’s easier to fit in a 30 minute class most days. I do the spinning and strength classes. The instructors are amazing and motivating.

i hired a spin bike through lockdown & did GCN classes and a few others on YouTube, can you use the spin bikes at the club when there is not a class and do your own stuff?

I know it's annoying but I think there's this idea that people who are super fit and healthy have some special ability to love exercise, but most of them just like the benefits of it and do it because of that*
I'd agree with this.
It took me months to build habits for exercise so I got to the point of feeling enjoyment at the thought of doing it. Like OP I was fine once exercising but didn't have much motivation.

What pushed me over the threshold was not doing exercise once I'd got used to doing it. Suddenly I realised I felt crap and sluggish from not doing it.

Hi again,

Thanks for the update. It’s fascinating to read your experience and the other answers to the question, ‘Is it possible to become someone who enjoys exercise and does it because they want to and not because they have to?’, is YES. And, yes, you can change your mindset around exercise.

The evidence around enjoyment of exercise is interesting. We’re all basically feeling machines that think and our emotional response before, during and after exercise drives our long-term behaviour.

Here’s an explanation in two graphs (below). Your fitness capacity goes from ‘chilling in front of Netflix’ (rest) to ‘sprinting to catch last bus’ (all out). As you can see in the first graph, this person has a smaller capacity (length of bottom line) and their personal thresholds (aerobic and anaerobic) are lower. This means that the number of activities they can enjoy is much lower than the person in the second graph. Evidence shows people uniformly enjoy activities below the first threshold (green line), there’s a 50/50 chance they’ll enjoy activities between the green and black lines. Once you go above the second vertical line (black) people uniformly don’t enjoy these activities/exercise.

Hope I haven’t lost you! The trick is to work out where your personal first threshold is (green line) and to build fitness by working at an intensity just below this line. This means doing activities below the line and walking/running/biking at an intensity close to the green line. This keeps the intensity enjoyable. As you get fitter, the green line pushes to the right and the range of activities you enjoy will expand.

If interested, I can expand and tell you how to work out where your green aerobic threshold is and how to work out what to try. Just didn’t want to make this too long!

Some things you could try instead of the gym given what you write that you like:

• Get an indoor bike trainer and try a game like Zwift
• Do hiking or walking round your local area with a weighted backpack
• Try activities like indoor climbing to build strength instead of the gym

Finally, remember that the goal is to find activities you truly enjoy. This way, exercise becomes something you look forward to rather than a chore you feel you have to do. Feel free to reach out if you need more specific guidance on identifying your personal thresholds or if you have any other questions!

It’s about finding something you love. I love fitness classes at the gym. Discovered it while at university and now doing Les Mills at home (gym classes don’t fit my timetable). I agree with the poster that if you can find time to go to the gym already, then take your bike out and cycle instead? Use an app like strava maybe?

How do you get to work and get around? Could you cycle most of your journeys instead of just doing long rides for the sake of it?

I hate exercise too, but I cycle everywhere and it’s brilliant for just working exercise into my normal life. Walking the school run, then cycling to work/shops is my main bit of exercise in the week. I work weekends at the moment but I’m looking forward to getting out for hikes again soon as that’s my other exercise thing that I actually enjoy.

I saw your post and was just wondering how you got on? Have you captured the motivation?

Have you tried just running outside?

If you live cycling you may also like running

@Speermint cos feeling strong feels sooooo good? Might not do it for you but I'm posting it just in case, as it changed my whole way of thinking when I realised exercise didn't have to be about being attractive or skinny. I don't care about feeling attractive cos I think I'm awesome, cos I feel strong.

Exercise is fucking miserable and it always means unpleasant contact with other people. Celebs are thin because they can afford home gyms! When I was younger I used to force myself to exercise so I’d look attractive, but now I’m a 40 something mum no amount of exercise is going to make me look attractive, so why torture myself?

I am also competitive and enjoy swimming faster than men. Especially the men who come in and try to take your swimming spot.

Though a big motivator for me is I had cancer and its says chances of it going to stage 4 are reduced 50% if exercise 3 to 5 hours a week. I also have much better mental health after swimming, do about a mile 3 times a week when I can. I can't take anti-depressants with cancer drugs or hrt so its the only option.

I go swimming and I enjoy that - its partly the jacuzzi, steam room, sauna as well but I like counting the lengths and getting to 100. Also I can forget about cancer, child issues in there or at least discuss them with DH in private. DH and I also go together and its alone time for us. I also choose a private less busy pool, warmer as well. In summer lidos are great. Canoeing I also love, scenery. I used to love aerobics when younger, music I think. I hate walking, cycling, running, its about finding the exercise you enjoy and sometimes its the setting as well, like walking I enjoy if there's wildlife and its remote. Cycling I have trouble balancing and running makes me feel ill. Gym not a huge fan of, find them a bit intimidating and dull and busy. Outside swimming can be great as well if warm enough. Love a heated outdoor pool with views or sea somewhere nice or waterparks.

Is there anything with a competitive element you might enjoy? Even if that’s just competing against yourself?

I used to love running as you can easily monitor your own progress and see if you can go further or faster.

Currently I am enjoying Zumba because I’m horribly uncoordinated and my aim is to get through a track without screwing up the moves.

Both very different kinds of exercise but the common factor is I’ve got a motivation that isn’t just “getting fit”.

I think I might enjoy strength training for a similar reason.

gym membership is for a year so I can't just not go

I only manage to go swimming so often because I ruddy paid for it in advance. I'll be damned if I don't get my money's worth.