... to ask how you learned to like exercise

[lookatallthosechickens]

Or at least not hate it with a fiery passion?

Today I was out walking and found myself picking my way down a medium-steep rocky path like a little old lady - I felt totally off balance and scared of hurting myself. It's like I've lost all my youthful agility - and I'm only 42!

I don't care about exercise to look better - I'm fine with my weight and figure. I just don't want to end up like my mother, needing a stick to walk anywhere and with all sorts of malfunctioning joints and tendons keeping me indoors by the age of 65.

My main blockers are a very low tolerance for pain (like normal exercise pain from lactic acid in your muscles), a mild sense of panic when I feel short of breath from exertion, and it's just so BORING.

So how did you make yourself like exercise enough to actually go out and do it? Any ideas for exercise (especially anything that isn't running, weights, or swimming)? I currently walk about 30 mins to an hour a day so it needs to be more intense than that to improve my endurance and agility.

I should add that my mother doesn't have any chronic health issues that I know of other than being slightly fat - it's purely a lifetime of no physical activity that's led her to where she is and while I'm slightly more active than her, I feel like I'm heading down the same path.

I think you've just got to make it a habit. I read somewhere you have to do something 13 times for it to be a habit. I'm not sure how true that is but I started running in May and although I didn't enjoy the initial aches as my body got used to it I really enjoy them now.

I started lockdown doing Joe Wicks PE. Didn't like it much. After a bit I tried some Popsugar videos on YouTube and found some I really enjoyed the style of. I shocked myself as I do them every day now. Before lockdown I did walk a bit but nothing else. Tried the gym, swimming, classes, hated them all. So it was just trying different ones and finding one I liked :-) Good luck!

aquajogging is fun, I have done it a few times before pools closed. You get a special belt and jog in place in the deep end of the pool. more info below (its best if you can get a pair of waterproof headphones and a device, maybe one like this as it gives you something else to focus on)
www.fullpotential.co.uk/post/2016/11/18/aqua-jogging-the-best-form-of-cross-training

I’m not keen on exercising - and I feel the same as you about picking my way down steep paths, climbing stiles and so on.

Unlike you though, I’m getting bigger and bigger so I HAVE to do it otherwise I will be as big as a house.

I went for a 10 k run (and walk) today with dh and ds, I was in agony for most of it but I was so happy when it was finished.

I also do a dvd (30 day shred Jillian Michaels) that is really hard but I feel like it gives me strength and slightly more agility. Maybe give something like that a try - or of course, yoga or Pilates, both lovely forms of exercise.

Finding a sport or activity that you like really helps. But honestly I think a lot of it just comes down to discipline. I don't like doing push-ups or core work but I do it because my sport (pole) uses a lot of upper body and core strength. I don't like training flexibility or cardio but again, it's useful so I make myself do it.

I hate exercising but I find swimming so relaxing and therapeutic. It probably means I’m not working hard enough but I don’t care, I leisurely swim breast stroke with a lovely playlist on and all my stresses of the day vanish.

Yoga would help with balance and muscle tone, and there are some nice videos (yogawithadriene is popular for a reason!). What about tennis or other racket sports - keeps your brain busy while you work out.

I know you said not running but I have to say the couch25k plan is very effective at building up steadily and if you go really slowly (search for Japanese slow running videos) can benefit you hugely without getting into zones where burn or breathlessness is a problem.

I like classes for the social side as much as anything else. While gyms are shut ive been doing classes from YouTube, from my local gym on fb, and zoom classes with one of the instructors.

My advice is:

1. Find an exercise that you like or at least don't mind doing!
2. Keep in your mind that exercise is amazing for your mental health and cardiovascular health.
3. Know that after exercise will make you feel so much better after each session.

With love, from an ex-exercise hater!

For me, it was doing it for a purpose. In my case, to support my weight loss and develop a healthy lifestyle. But I decided on a challenge - walking my local National Trail. I do it in stages, with friends (pre-lockdown) and it's lovely to explore a new area and see new sights you just don't come across otherwise.

Now I do it because I enjoy being fit. And I get some time alone without my small children - evening walks have kept me sane in lockdown.

I'm lucky that I live in the country, but I do also jog on the spot in front of the telly when I'm not heading outside.

I have a chronic illness which affects my mobility and I don't know how long I'll be able to do this for, so I'm making the most of it.

I went from sedentary as a brick to someone who actively enjoys running, yoga and swimming, by:

Getting a Fitbit. This improved my general fitness enough for me to feel confident attempting a jog.

Downloading C25K. I used the Sarah Millican voice so she was friendly and not intimidating.

Finding a yoga class I adored, with a fab teacher. It was in a lovely location, and it felt like a treat to go there. Sadly Covid has killed it - I’m so sad about that. I need to find a way back to yoga though.

Open swimming. I love swimming but hate swimming pools. The chlorine, the having to be seen in a swimsuit, the crispy hair it gives you. Horrid. But I discovered that a nearby water sports park do open swimming, so I got a wetsuit and it’s fantastic!

It’s about understanding yourself, I think. What motivates you? I’m not a team player; most of my hobbies are things I do alone, so it stands to reason I’ll want to do individual exercise.

I enjoy accountability, so having a goal (eg 10k steps) is vital.

I’m quite competitive with myself, so doing something where I have to push myself a bit more each time (C25K) is great.

It can be something as daft as liking the outfits! Love yoga clothes, so getting ready to go was never a hardship.

I never stuck with exercise before because, as you say, it's boooooriiiiing. I just won't last the required time to get anything proper of it.

Then I read in news about Joe Wicks and now I am in love with the short HIIT sessions. At the beginning I managed probably half of each exercise, now I don't even need break in the middle. It's the first ever exercise I feel actual benefits of. And I had bike, treadmill, jumping rope, rowing machine, dancing programs etc.
15 min of HIIT 3-4 times a week made unbelievable difference.

It took about 3 weeks for me to get into habit of doing it. Now I actually do little workouts outside of it too.

If you’re finding it boring it’s maybe just not the right exercise for you. Have you tried different classes, or something more hobby/skills based? I’m thinking of something like dance, or martial arts or something which feels like you’re learning something rather than ‘just’ exercising for its own sake. Or doing the same type of exercise but in a different way? For example I love running but get bored if I do the same routes again and again - I have fun choosing a route that will let me explore a new area or somewhere scenic. I love swimming but never swim in a pool - I only swim outdoors as I find it much more enjoyable. I reckon it’s a case of finding something you enjoy so it doesn’t feel like a chore.

@LunaNorth completely with you on swimming!

Keep it short, a short 20 minute burst of high energy exercise does wonders. Do that tow to three times a week and with some regular walking in between you will be keeping your body healthy.

I felt the same as you and also like I didn't know where to start. What helped me was to remove the decisions around exercise - by using apps eithong term plans built into them. So, for instance, Couch to 5k, which tells you exactly how long to run for each day, with gradual progression. Circuit training apps that tell you which exercises and how many reps. They built up gradually so it was a lot easier to stick with them until a point where I was actually fairly fit, which itself encouraged me to carry on

Good on you for trying to address this, OP - best wishes to you 😊

I think you have to click too that getting hot and sweaty and breathless is good. At school/as a young adult, I always felt it was a bit embarrassing and showed I wasn’t cut out for sport - all those pictures of effortless running women with make up and tidy hair. I now run and cycle and do HIIT and yes my head is like a beetroot but it’s because my body is doing what it’s supposed to.

I know you said not running but couch to 5k really is the biz. As is getting on a bike.

Im 66 years old and like you never rated exercise

I am very healthy but have put weight on with the lockdown so now my BMI is 26 and I am officially overweight
So I challenged myself to doing a minimum of 10.000 steps daily and have achieved it most days
Ive decided to improve my diet too
The only answer I can give you is to have some upbeat music to listen to whilst walking. It really makes it so much more enjoyable
Good luck.
As another previous poster said it needs to be done regularly to become a habit
I'm now walking between 4.5 and 6 miles each day with ease and feel so much better for doing so

@SionnachRua

Finding a sport or activity that you like really helps. But honestly I think a lot of it just comes down to discipline. I don't like doing push-ups or core work but I do it because my sport (pole) uses a lot of upper body and core strength. I don't like training flexibility or cardio but again, it's useful so I make myself do it.

Exactly this! I went to an adult class at my dc's sports club and was hooked!

We do 10 mins of abs work at the start which I hate but I really need better core strength to get better at the sport. It's been brilliant for my fitness and I lost 11lbs last year (since lockdown though I've put 6 back on as I'm just not motivated to do DVDs or YouTube video exercises)

Try and find something you enjoy doing...tennis? Martial arts? Netball? It's embarrassing at first and I felt like a lardy arse but because I enjoyed the sport I just kept going back.

I hate exercise for much the same reasons but found Zumba and now I do it to classes on YouTube - it’s much more fun for me than walking

In my case it was a shift in mindset from treating exercise like a punishment to viewing it as a celebration of what my body can do.

I was exactly the same as you at that age, I was just lucky to find the right gym with the right trainer and the right people. It boosted my confidence no end and now I do all sorts of things, and have a different outlook about myself and my life. I don't love it all the time, but I love how it has helped me to change.

I joined a gym and watched Ted Talks and YouTube videos on my phone while I jogged/walked on the treadmill/on the weight machines. The time went by really quickly! Now I do Joe Wicks and I also have a small trampoline which I use while watching TV. Exercise may be boring (especially at first) but if you associate a fun activity with it, it gets easier.

I found a PT who does classes. Upped protein to 109g a day to combat the pain in the muscles and took Epson salt baths.

Best thing I ever did. Feel so much stronger now.