To wonder how to teach myself to love exercising

[aileen1234]

As I frigging hate it. It's boring, sweaty and painful, what's to like?

Yet this is the only way to get the body of my dreams isn't it?

I just do it. I crank my iPod and go. And well, sometimes I pretend I am competing for God and country..also envision I am an in episode of episode of NCIS or the like

For me it's the results. I like short intense (HIIT classes) and I swim after, most mornings before work. It's just seeing my body change that motivates me. Would that help you?

I'm with you op, my target now is to make myself do at least 1x10 YouTube excercise A day + I take walks with the dog and pram whenever I can feel like it. But my motivation must be -97% ATM.

But my friend who's always been "big boned" (never chubby but never slim) and always had issues with trying to loose those extra few pounds has recently taken up running on the treadmill, she does an hour a day and changed her diet a bit (no sugar etc), anyway she lives far away from me but we recently chatted and she said the first week or so she had to really, really force herself to go and then as her body got used to the daily exercise she said it would feel weird if she missed even a day.
She's been at it about 2-3months now and lost over 9kg! That's like 19lbs!
She looks amazing.
I wish I had the resilience

I'm with TheCraicDealer on this - if you're having trouble staying motivated it's worth investing in some personal training (PT) sessions or a course, and paying up front so you would feel guilty or wasteful about missing a session. BTW, PT isn't just for A-listers and needn't be prohibitively expensive, particularly if you use a local authority gym. A course or a PT session will have you working much harder than you would on your own or with a DVD, you'll stick at it for an hour and although it won't feel pleasant at the time you'll end up with that endorphin high some posters have been going on about.

If neither of those things would work for you, I'd suggest exercising with a friend. Making prior arrangements with a mate will encourage you to stick to your exercise plans on days when you just can't be bothered, and you can motivate each other to continue. Challenge each other when you're out (eg "let's run to that far tree, then do 20 squats, and then we'll recover") and you'll find that the session goes more quickly and you achieve more than doing it on your own.

Basically the trick is to get off the sofa, and commit to a session. If you get out and do something, and work hard at it, you'll NEVER arrive back home thinking "well that was a waste of time". And you may come to love the post-exercise buzz! Good luck, OP!

I get a buzz as in thinking 'thank Christ that is over!'
Haha, me too! I've tried loads of different things and I just don't like it. Hate dancing, aerobic classes, exercise bikes, cycling, cross trainer, circuit training, weight training, swimming (the biggest faff for the most tedium!), sports (all of them), etc. The only really good exercise that I can tolerate sometimes is running because I get a lot of bang for my buck and I can pretend I'm training for the zombie apocalypse. But to be honest I'd rather sit on my arse.

What I have discovered though is that although I dislike "exercise" I'm happy to have hobbies that happen to be physically active. So have helped at stables (I enjoy mucking out and it's hard work), done kayaking (I'm just playing on the water and accidentally exercising), done volunteer work, dog walking, and hiking (I'm just going out for a hill walk with mates/the walking club, I'm not "exercising"). In other words I need to be conned into exercising.

Something I shall be experimenting with is setting myself little targets such as 30 minutes on my cross trainer 3-4 times per week, sit ups, push ups and squats, and each time I do them I give myself a beautiful glittery bright coloured star for my reward chart. Juvenille it may be, but I'm giving it a go because I need all the help with motivation I can get. Would something like that help, OP?

A word of warning though, don't expect to be able to sit all day and make up for it for an hour a day at the gym for example, because sedentarism/sedentary lifestyle is extremely harmful regardless of whether we do the recommended amount of exercise. Generally being more active throughout the day is the way to go.

I can only echo what other people have said, definitely try different classes/activities. I had my twins in Summer last year and was the heaviest I have ever been by a long shot and some. I joined the gym and did stuff like Body Pump/Zumba...hated it, started finding excuses not to go.

Was fed up of being the size I was and not being active (prior to all 3 DCs I went to Crossfit and cycled a lot) so I booked a block of sessions with a PT and haven't looked back. They've taught me so much about exercise and what works, and I've found stuff I enjoy again, one body weight exercises, HIIT etc. I've lost two stone but still have another stone to go, however my whole body shape has changed, I can fit back in to clothes I wore before DC1 (that didn't happen between him and me having the twins) albeit I'm not happy with my stomach in them as I still have twin tum, but I'm more toned overall and I love seeing the progress I'm making.

I only like exercising outdoors (open air swimming, cycling, tennis, walking) as I find that helps me enjoy it more. Plus of course Zumba which feels nothing like exercise and a lot like fun!

I went to a trampolining centre a couple of weeks ago ("Gravity"- mainly for kids)- the trampolines were less springy than my kids' one, but I still loved it!
I hate any other form of exercise but trampolining's great!
I fully intend to use the kids' trampoline once we've moved and have a back garden. We only have a front garden at the moment and I can't face trampolining in front of my street!
sorry if already mentioned -not RTFT

Pilates is completely different from yoga. No flexibility required. It's about building up core and other muscles. You work to your own level, to precise instructions. If you do 3 classes a week you will look slimmer and have shapelier legs, even if you haven't lost weight. And more muscle burns off more calories. An excellent foundation for other types of exercise too.
Try classes which are less intense than aerobics eg LBT or aqua aerobics. Try classes which have lots of older or less fit people than you, to motivate you, and not make you feel inferior.
Get rid of your negative attitude, forget 'oh I don't like that' and tell yourself you can do and enjoy exercise. Keep doing it. Try each activity at least 3 times before you decide whether you like it. Keep an open mind.
Chat to other people at the classes, to build up a sense of belonging.

I have to admit I hate all forms of exercise and sports apart from hill walking. I just try and walk a lot and eat less.

Since I had my daughter my pelvic floor can't cope with any jigging about! Neither can my knee joints or hips come to that! I'm buggered aren't I? 😪

A thread of MNers once agreed to each other that a kids trampoline was brilliant for the post-childbirth pelvic floor, Catty. Worth a try?

But I'm not sure if knee joints like trampolines much... Ask a physiotherapist for strengthening exercises?

Park Run! I was a complete beginner. I am now addicted (but that may be because of the coffee afterwards).

If you want to try yoga perhaps iyengar. You can use props to help you achieve poses.

I focus on how exercise lifts my mood rather than just body image. Perhaps try a different class or activity for a month and see which you do like.

Give up trying to like it. It's horrible, the more you accept that the easier it will be. There is no magic answers, 90% of the time it's just painfully hassley. But I've gone from couch to 8k in 2 months with this attitude and I'm loving the process, not the content. Process not content. Write that on your hand

Been on a trampoline in the past Tara and had to get off pretty quick, an 'oops' moment!(I think that is the polite term currently in use? ) I also have a slipped disc at the moment and sciatica, as I said, buggered!

I've only really started exercising in my 40's. Started when I did an overnight marathon walk round London ("how hard can it be?" I thought - very hard, but I did it!). Then it was winter, so I did couch-5K running because I wanted to keep up the exercise level but had less time. Then I did a 10K, then some half marathons.

But the real revelation for me has been doing a bootcamp. Never in a million years could I have seen myself doing something like that, but it's such a laugh! It's twice a week, all outdoors and I am totally rubbish at most things, but it doesn't matter. It's all about being better that I was before - and I have seen some improvements, but mainly I just love the laughs. Last week I was doing squats with DH on my back, we've done sliding down muddy hills on our bums, playing dodgeball as a warm up, the list goes on. This coming weekend we're going to a beach to run up sand dunes. It's going to be pretty much impossible for me, I'll probably be last, but it really doesn't matter, everyone's encouraging and friendly and kind.

PPs are right, it's just about finding your thing. And once you start getting into it you will find you miss it if you don't do it.

I hate it too OP! I have started running and find the easiest thing really is to just do it first thing - otherwise I can spend the whole day dreading my run/talking myself out of it! I have two probs though 1) my feet kill me afterwards - is that normal? And 2) the air quality is really bad where I live not sure if I can do anything to protect myself from that!

Agree with everyone that finding something you like is key (for one friend of mine, it was badminton, for another it was tai kwondo...)

Or scrap the idea of exercise for exercise's sake. Is there any way you could build it into your daily routine, e.g. cycle/walk to work (that's where the bulk of my exercise comes in)? Long walks in the country at weekends? Offer to walk a pensioner's dog for them three or four times a week?

OP up until 2 weeks ago (early days I know) I was exactly the same. I have a highly active job, 12 hour shifts on my feet, and thought that should be enough.....I was wrong. I am currently at the heaviest I have ever been (98kg to be precise ) and when my ds said, innocently not maliciously, 'mummy you need to exercise, you're getting too fat' I knew I had to do something!

The couch to 5k has really altered my way of thinking!! Having not done extra exercise outside of work I can honestly say I couldn't imagine me running more than 5m but it starts so slowly and builds you up to being able to run. Today I progressed onto a 90 second run followed by 2 minute walk (this repeats a few times, not just the once) and the difference is noticeable. It helps that there are many flat country paths for me to go that has beautiful scenery and my oh and ds take their bikes so we do it as a family.

I never thought I would see the day that I actually ran when it wasn't either away from danger or to the ice cream van but this has actually improved my life. It is also the only time that I do something for me.

If I can do it anyone can, believe me!!

I have two probs though 1) my feet kill me afterwards - is that normal? And 2) the air quality is really bad where I live not sure if I can do anything to protect myself from that!

allegretto, although there will be some muscle soreness I don't think your feet should be killing you after a run (unless you've just started running barefoot I suppose). What parts hurt? If it's the underneath for example it could be plantar fasciitis, which is a common running injury. I'm no expert though so hopefully someone will be able to offer some advice.

Regarding the air quality, I've though the same. I read an article the other day which mentioned that the benefits of exercise outweigh the bad effects of poor air quality, but it was only one sentence and didn't go into depth. I've also read that face masks for filtering out pollution, that you can get for exercising, only work on the larger particles so we'd still be inhaling the smaller molecules. That you'd need to wear an industrial mask to be fully protected. Worth looking into though I reckon. Mind you, it would be yet another "reason" for getting abuse from drivers

I hate exercise as well. I'm currently sat in my gym kit with my bag packed trying not to go.

Hate feeling self conscious, hate feeling hot and sweaty and stinky, hate loud music, hate parts of me hurting!

Anything I would enjoy is limited to the area I live in / money - so while I like skiing and ice skating neither are practical to do particularly regularly.

As others have said you need to find something you enjoy. Also, appreciate what you have got. I dream of being able to run again (literally) because I know that I will never be able to. If you are capable of running (or would be if you exercised more) try to appreciate and enjoy what you have got.

Try weightlifting! It's not cardio, it's really rewarding, and you end up with a slamming body. It's unlikely that you will get seriously muscley without eating a weightlifting bulk diet/taking steroids because most women don't have enough testosterone in their body to put on significant amounts of muscle.

I'd also suggest that you keep any cardio sessions short- 30 minutes is definitely enough! You don't need to punish yourself with a bastard long 3 hour session. I try to do 3 x 30-45 minute sessions a week. This keeps my fitness topped up enough to easily go do a 1/2 marathon distance run, so I know I'm healthy.

With regards to exercise, the one thing I had to do to really start enjoying it was change my mindset. These days I don't exercise to punish myself for being fat or eating badly- I exercise because I love myself and want to look after myself.

If you want any help getting started with weight lifting then get in touch :)

I hate exercising too. Recently starting up again after illness/injury and it's horrible because I can see/feel how unfit I've got. Having said that, I've started doing clubbercise which I find quite fun (because it's an excuse to jump around to cheesy club music) and when I do DVDs at home I always reward myself afterwards with a little treat eg new nail varnish, cuppa and chocolate, g&t or similar.
Also I've found that if you just grit your teeth and keep at it for a few weeks you actually start noticing you're doing things that when you started boggled your mind (like a particular move, or running a certain distance) and marvelling at what your body is newly capable of gives you a boost to keep going. Hth.