To not understand how anyone enjoys exercise??

[Baileysoncereal]

How do you motivate yourself to exercise when it’s horrible being out of breath and sweaty

I’m not moving around at work anymore (covid related furlough/unemployment) and after a few months, I’m really noticing a difference in how unfit I am and how easily I’m out of breath. I’ve tried a ton of sports, and there’s nothing I enjoy and I can never be bothered putting in the effort anyway
Eg. Why run if you can jog, why jog if you can walk.

I hate being sweaty, I hate being out of breath, I hate not being good at something and I love sitting on the couch and watching TV.
So how do you motivate yourself or even shock actually love exercising?!

As a long time hater of exercise and now lover of exercise, the big lightbulb moment for me was realising that aching muscles and feeling out of breath meant that I was doing it right not that I was hopeless at it and could never get any better.

At school we were sent out to run the cross country course. In seven years no one ever explained the difference between running as fast as you can and paving yourself for a longer run. I had no idea. I thought that athletes just put their trainers on and run as fast as their legs would go. So I ran as hard as I could and after a few hundred metres I was almost vomiting. I thought that everyone else was just better at it than me. It was only years later that I understood that many of them, who participated in sports outside of school that I had never had access too, understood about technique and pacing etc. If PE was actually taught in school maybe I would have enjoyed exercise even when I was younger.

Pacing yourself obviously!

Really good point @wellthatsunusual. PE wasn't taught to us either, we were just inconveniently there as whilst the sporty gifted kids got on with it. I was never taught the rules of the games we played, never encouraged to find my own strengths, or to develop fitness.

@MrsKramer

"What seems clear is that almost no one actually enjoys the exercise, at least at first, and some people never do."

Total rubbish. If you look at little kids they ALL enjoy racing around. That's exercise at its most pure & simple, and it's a basic human pleasure. I for one still enjoy racing around with them just as much as "proper" exercise/sport

This has given me a fantastic idea for an exercise group. I am not a team sport person but i would definitely join an exercise group where you can play childhood games like british bulldog etc. That would definitely create endorphins and it would be fun.

Op. I hate exercise too. I have arthritis in my knees and I suspect in other joints too. I also have an irregular heartbeat, lordosis and short calf muscles so the odds are stacked against me. I prefer to do something quick so do a daily hiit session lasting between 15- 25 mins. I prefer ones with different exercises to reduce boredom. After a while you start to learn which exercises you dont get on with and you can substitute. So I dont get on with burpees or up down planks so do something else instead for those. I do have to force myself some days but I always feel better after.

What I find useful is hearing from people who, like me, have had awful experiences of school PE lessons, yet have found things that worked for them whilst acknowledging that they also find it a constant struggle to keep at it. Who have never had the “endorphin rush” no matter how many miles they’ve run. I’d like to find a fitness trainer who will admit they’d rather do fuck all and eat cake so I could relate to them, not a gym bunny who was sporty at school.
Yes exactly.
The reason I stuck at running club for so long was that the leader wasn't competitive, wasn't trying to mould us all into marathon runners, didn't have the perfect body.
She was just happy to have you show up and plod along at the back if that's what you wished but if you wanted she'd help you.
Then sadly she left and we got a whistle blowing bloke with his "pain is weakness leaving the body" type attitude. I lasted three weeks with him.

I was always sporty at school, left and never exercised after leaving again. Had a lightbulb moment 3 months ago when I realised I had gained 4 stone in weight since lockdown since not moving around going to work etc. My other half bought a smart bike and a app called zwift and i just started doing small cycling routes (i felt rubbish and sick just doing 5 miles). Now 3 months later I'm 3 stone lighter and really enjoy the struggle and can cycle up huge hills for miles. I think the key to motivation is to realise its not a nice feeling at first and to enjoy the pain and sweatiness.

I never even liked running around that much as a kid tbh. Only if it was part of pretend play. So that was over quite quickly!

I have walked a lot overgtge years because it was good for me and in doing it I grew used to it.

I so relate to awful school PE lessons.
PE teachers always seemed sadistic set out to humiliate.
Competitive sports were pushed, I have awful memories of playing hocky outside in Januariy, wearing regulation nany blue shorts, havig my shins battered with wooden sticks.
I think times have changed a little, activities like Zumba and more focus on fitness rather than competition.
Did put me off for years though, but now I have a regime I enjoy a combination of tough Vinyasa yoga and weights.

It's not about the endorphin rush for me either- a large part is vanity for me.
I am nearly 60, have a 6 pack stomach, size 10, and can do headstands.

[quote GrinchyMcGrinch]@heseesyouwhenyouaresleeping and what if your greatest pleasure is reading a good book? Or watching films? Craft? Board games? Knitting? Model painting? Computer games? Art? There are a ton of pleasures and hobbies that aren’t particularly active! There’s no point in shaming people for not loving active stuff... especially since the OP is aware she needs to be more active and is trying to work out how to change that![/quote]
I am not shaming anyone

I just genuinely don't understand HOW you can dislike any physical activity when you can do it! You have all your retirement years to potter around, you have bouts of illness, injuries when you CAN"T do anything.

No, I don't understand what's enjoyable about movies, computer games, art when you do nothing else. I really don't.

If you have children, how is it even possible not to make them "exercise" for a couple of days? Mine would go crazy, drive me insane and destroy the place.

Being fit and active is built up too. If you are struggling to run 5k (or swim, or play tennis for1 hour, or dance , horse ride or whatever is your own preference) in your 30-40s at the latest, what hope do you have when you get older? You are opening yourself to a life of misery in your old age.

I don't sleep well, I feel heavy, my mood goes down if I am stuck home doing nothing. Everything gets difficult. I am not shaming, I just really cannot understand it. One day I'll be old. I can knit then

*hours

Thank you @GrinchyMcGrinch

@heseesyouwhenyouaresleeping nope my only pleasure in life isn’t sitting down and doing nothing, I have many pleasures in life, my work, reading, painting, spending time with my family, walking my dog, listening to music and watching movies, many other things that are not enough exercise, in their current state, to keep me fit. Typically I work long days with a long commute, I wouldn’t say I usually have ‘so little to do’ but thank you for your negative comment when I was looking for positive ways and inspiration to change my life. You are very lucky that you find it so easy to fit in activity and exercise, perhaps you can just be happy about that at least and recognise not everyone’s experience is the same as yours.

@AliceAbsolum you’re absolutely right, i think accepting it is what it is right now and perhaps it’s get easier/better/more fun/ or at least I’ll see some positive changes to my fitness. Rather than doing it and expecting to really enjoy it. Find other positives

Thank you @Popcorntoes you’re so right about the sports bra too, I feel like that’s always one of my excuses, that I don’t have the right bra/I’m not comfortable.

Also as an update I did a half hour run this morning.
I thought I was going to be sick, I was immensely humiliated at how unfit I was and I hated it. But I did it!
And with my expectations of this great feeling and endorphin rush, and loving just getting out by myself and having time to myself, clearing my head, getting 6 pack abs etc all gone, I could accept it for what it was and be glad I at least moved today, and tomorrow is another day

Half an hour in these temperatures is very good going for a new runner, well done @Baileysoncereal - that "I did it!" feeling is the seed of enjoying yourself!

For me getting better at running was also about listening to my body and realising what worked. I have to run on an empty stomach (but can't do weights if I haven't eaten). Caffeine of some sort is a useful boost beforehand. I prefer going for longer at a set pace rather than doing intervals. That's not true for everyone though. Proper running shoes and a good sports bra are the only two necessities in terms of gear, though running gloves were also a game-changer for me in the winter. Good luck!

Baileysoncereal
My posts were to tell you to find something you ENJOY and not see "exercise" as a painful chore!

I am not lucky, I just replaced "I haven't got the time" by "it's not a priority". Watching tv, being on MN is not a priority in my life.
Because I haven't got time to faff around with hours of walking or others, I have to chose more intensive exercise. I chose something I like. I am not a martyr.

I have 4 kids, my commute is 1h30 each way if I am lucky and I work full time. I commute a lot less thanks to the pandemic, but don't tell me it's "easy".

a half hour run this morning.

it's not bad at all for a first time! You are starting with a lot more than others, so well done.

All I meant was that it's easier to maintain and exercise 4 or 5 times a week when it's for pleasure. It's much harder to stay motivated when you are tired/busy/cold when you haven't found the right sport
🤷

I too love pump and combat. Really missing classes at mo. I live the feel good factor when it's done. Swam today and body feels good

I just genuinely don't understand HOW you can dislike any physical activity when you can do it!
Because I get nothing out of doing it except tired and achy. It's probably better for me to do it than not but I never feel better or stronger.
There's no end to it you just have to do it over and over, it's drudgery to me like doing the laundry.

This is why I love walking, cycling or playing tennis. None of them are about exercise for exercise’s sake. Walking is about fresh air and clearing my head, being outside. Cycling is thrilling and tennis is fun and competitive.

30 mins of running is 5k for me so well done!

You’re welcome @Baileysoncereal . Ignore the less than helpful comments from those struggling to see that people enjoy different things, and not everyone is dealt the same hand physically (or just generally in life!).

And well done on getting out there today, 30 mins for a beginner in cold weather is brilliant! Make sure you rehydrate and try an Epsom salts bath tonight to reduce soreness. And tap into that “ha! I did it anyway!” virtuous feeling to keep you motivated :)

Take a look through my previous post too with some other non cardio suggestions. For me, I really struggled with cardio to start & had to build up exercise in other ways first

I think you just need to find a way of exercise that suits you

I love Brazilian juijitsu/ CrossFit / running, indeed I love all sport, if I don't exercise o get really moody/ itchy but that's because I self medicate my adhd with it

I hate exercise too 😂

Also it's completely understandable if you don't like getting out of breath - pushing past your comfort zones like you are doing will get your body used to it and release endorphins so you feel like you enjoy it hopefully.

Saying that, I find sport really enjoyable but sunbathing / relaxing etc are absolute torture! I wish I could enjoy films or have a pj day but I just get bored so easily.