Does anyone not get endorphins from exercise?

[AbsentmindedWoman]

I think I used to when I was going to about 3 or 4 yoga classes a week, for example. I felt great because I loved the whole experience. Excellent teachers and beautiful studio. But not now, getting ready for a walk. Yeah I need to go and sometimes it's fine.

However sometimes I feel like I actually get the opposite of endorphins? I get tense and a bit cross and so relieved to get home!

Do you feel a bit shit after exercising? Or is this purely a reflection of how unfit I am now?

Never had endorphins or any kind of pleasure from exercise. I loathe it and do it dutifully because it's supposed to be good for me.

I often walk 5 miles for exercise. it's a massive effort and I do not enjoy it at all. I have not experienced to my knowledge these feel good endorphins that people speak of. I just want to get back home asap.

I never get any either. A dr told me some people don’t. Typical!

I hate sweating. I hate being overheated. I genuinely feel sick after exercising it’s awful! I really would love to be one of these people who can get addicted to it but nah.

Me! Exercise makes me feel awful. Exhausted, achy and starving hungry. I end up eating twice as much in a day if I exercise! I stick to walking these days.

I don’t get them. My solution is to exercise with a distraction (podcast, program, etc)

Me too. I went through a period of time in my mid 30s where I gave it my all. Gym, classes; huge, hard bike rides. Day after day.

But I never, ever got a buzz at all from it.

No, I hate exercise/sport and always have.
I hate feeling hot and sweaty, hate the feeling of my heart pounding and feel light headed and physically sick. It makes me really irritable and bad tempered too.

No, I get no endorphins at all. I hate exercising and feel awful while doing it. However, I enjoy something that is a game, like badminton, although obviously we can’t play at the moment.

Just to add, I’m not a competitive person either. I honestly can’t think of anything appealing about training or timing myself running - best time and all that. I also don’t give a damn whether I win or lose. I’d be the worst team member ever.

I think a lot of endorphins come from the competitive nature of sport/exercise too.

I do, massively and I am not at all competitive. I only do it for the help to my MH.

No, I hate it, just makes me tense and achey which is probably why I'm fat and unfit

The whole thing is utterly awful for me. However light or intense.

It's counterintuitive, but in my experience that happens when you don't exercise at a high enough intensity, or for long enough. (Non sports or exercise person here.)

Recently I tried to start running and began doing a slow run for 10 minutes, then home. I hated every second of the run, and then at home I felt irritated and angry, and like I was bouncing off the walls. I finally realised I wasn't running for long enough - as actually endorphins and the "feeling good" rush happen after 10 minutes of hard slog. I was doing the difficult bit then giving up when I would have felt the rewards! It feels counterintuitive but you have to exercise harder, for a bit longer. If you're doing (unwittingly) half-arsed exercise or only for a short period it won't happen.

Having done eight hour hard bike rides and got no endorphins from it at all Jovial, I don't think your hypothesis is correct in all cases.

I don't get it either.

Watching all those adverts for Peloton on the telly really brings it home - all the participants are in a state of almost orgasmic ecstasy when they finish exercising. It's quite unnerving really.

I do my best to exercise and it's torture. Endorphins, pleasure - I wish.

I used to get when playing badminton (can't play anymore as have shoulder injury).

I also get it when walking. Strangely, I get a real high the longer I walk. I usually try to do walks of about 10 miles a couple of times a month. I tend to walk in nice places so I think it's a combo of exercise and views/wildlife along the way. Planning one this week.

@Boph

Never had endorphins or any kind of pleasure from exercise. I loathe it and do it dutifully because it's supposed to be good for me.

Me too

I feel angry after exercise

Nah. I don't find exercise relaxing. I prefer chilling

I discovered a love of running really late, and once I got about six weeks into the c25k program I started to get the buzz. Never ever experienced it before, but then pe and sport in school were so bloody awful that I avoided it afterwards. I enjoy Pilates, but no endorphin rush - but I wouldn't expect to get it with something like that. But, if you aren't enjoying the class, why bother? Find something else that you do enjoy. Swimming. Zumba. Going for a brisk walk. Stick some dance music on when you're cleaning and go for it. Or is it the covid groundhog Day effect that's getting you down? Because I love going for walks, but the dutiful daily trudge around the local streets is starting to lose its attraction.

Never had endorphins or any kind of pleasure from exercise. I loathe it and do it dutifully because it's supposed to be good for me

Same here, except I don't do it.

Me either, it's just a thankless grind and now with extra joint pain.