AIBU to think I can get fit doing 15 mins a day?

[worriedaboutfitness]

I absolutely hate exercise. You name it I've tried it- walking, swimming, classes, personal trainer, yoga, everything.

However I am really unfit, and now I'm 30 I'm aware that I don't want to end up like my parents- almost immobile at the age of 65 from a life time of not moving their bodies.

I've joined a gym in earnest, but I really cannot make myself do long workouts- because I'm so unfit it's really a horrible experience for me, and I don't feel good afterwards. However I have been for the last 3 days and done about 15 mins of cardio each time. I know that most normal people go to the gym every couple of days for a proper session but I just don't know if I can bring myself to that.

AIBU to think I can improve my fitness levels in this way? Or is it not long enough to make a difference?

I’ve tried classes- I just get very embarrassed that I’m the unfittest one there! There’s also no way I’d be able to do 60 mins of exercise, I can’t stress how unfit I currently am.

I’ve tried c25k before but never got further than about a week of it- again I could barely make it to the end of each session without feeling like I was going to die.

15 mins is better than nothing, you might find something you enjoy and it won't feel like a chore 😊

I'm still waiting for those endorphins that are meant to hit. I mainly get through by imagining hours good it will feel when I stop.

@worriedaboutfitness

Thanks *@Cheeseandlobster*- I have tried HIIT workouts at home but honestly I can’t be trusted to make myself do them. The second I get sweaty and out of breath I just want to stop, and if I’m at home on my living room floor it’s too easy to just sit on my sofa instead.

I realise that sounds pathetic but it’s the truth! I have a complicated history with exercise where growing up the only possible motivation to do it was to lose weight, and after a life of eating disorders it’s very difficult for me to separate those two things and not feel horrible when I workout.

I sympathise as I was the same. Then I learned that you need to get sweaty and out of breath and feel horrible for it to work. When you get out of breath, try to keep going but reduce intensity slightly. It took me ages to work through this barrier. I was using a rowing machine at the time and it was horrible. Now the rower is a breeze, but other things are difficult. Investing in a skipping rope is a good idea if your knees are ok? I started with a goal of 10 consecutive jumps without stopping on the first day, then build up gradually.

It's 15 minutes more than you were doing. And it's on the cusp of kicking in the endorphins that make it more enjoyable for a lot of people - I'd convince myself when I wasn't feeling like it that I'd stay for ten minutes and then bargain with myself after those ten minutes that I'd do another ten, by which time, I was happy to continue - some of my best ever sessions were the ones where I started with the 'Oh, God, I really don't want to do this - I'll do ten minutes then I'll go home'.

I also regarded going on the weights machines as 'a bit of a sitdown'. That's not to say I didn't do anything, but framing it as a rest from the cardio made it more appealing when I was reluctant to go. It switched very quickly to where the cardio machines (rowing, mostly) were a warmup, the weights were the exercise and then more cardio at the end was a warmdown. And then the stroll home was a further warmdown rather than a decision to tag on a little bit more exercise instead of waiting for a bus.

It was definitely playing with words to get around my inertia. But it worked for me.

I have to admit that most of the time, exercise still feels like a chore to me. I get bored v v easily. I can cope with running, unless it's housing estates. Then I need a really good playlist.

Thanks @92miles- it’s good to hear you were able to push through it.

I do have one dodgy knee (clicks when I walk up stairs/stand up/bend down) but honestly I think being overweight is the main cause of that issue. I’ve hurt it before going to hard on it though so I try and be careful.

I find that if I watch something mindless while exercising I can keep going for much longer.

Yes you absolutely can but you need to absolutely push yourself to your limits for the full 15 minutes.
If you’re trying to loose weight, keep an eye on diet too. Make sure there’s enough protein to support muscle growth.

This is a really interesting perspective @NeverDropYourMooncup- I do walk about 10-15 mins to the gym and then back again afterwards so I suppose that counts too! I might try exactly what you’ve suggested here tomorrow- a small amount of cardio to warm up, some weight machines, then again to cool down.

It sounds silly but it’s really nice to hear of so many people who also feel like exercise is a chore! All I ever seem to hear off friends and loved ones is how exercise gives them endorphins and makes them feel amazing and I’ve always felt like a weirdo because it definitely doesn’t do that for me!

@worriedaboutfitness

Thanks *@Cheeseandlobster*- I have tried HIIT workouts at home but honestly I can’t be trusted to make myself do them. The second I get sweaty and out of breath I just want to stop, and if I’m at home on my living room floor it’s too easy to just sit on my sofa instead.

I realise that sounds pathetic but it’s the truth! I have a complicated history with exercise where growing up the only possible motivation to do it was to lose weight, and after a life of eating disorders it’s very difficult for me to separate those two things and not feel horrible when I workout.

I know she’s not everyone’s cup of tea but Jillian Michaels workouts are great. She has some short ones so even if not a long work out, it’s effective. I’m a similar age to you and feel similar.

Motivation can be hard, do you have any friends you can rope in. In lockdown my friends and I started doing them on zoom- one of us played it and shared our screen (muted ourselves so others didn’t have to hear the panting) and it also gave us an excuse to catch up each day. Having others doing it helped with the accountability and it was the fittest I’d been, my resting heart rate really reduced etc. It was nice to feel strong and healthy rather than focus on weight loss.

Similar with C25K, last year was the first year I managed to finish it by having a friend do it too, although we live in different cities we messaged on the days we were due to do it and knowing she’d be checking in kept me accountable.

I’m starting again in the new year as slacked off when things reopened in July so if you don’t have anyone then drop me a message and I’d be happy to be your accountable person as I know it’s hard.

A physio told me you have to do ten minutes at least for any exercise to have an impact. So your doing five minutes extra!
Would you enjoy dance classes instead of the gym?
You can go at your own pace so not as noticeable that your not as fit as others.
I feel you, I am also very unfit.

People think I'm some sort of mad gym bunny cos I go the gym once a week and run once or twice. I'm not. I don't enjoy it. But to me, it's as important as brushing your teeth and not eating crap all the time.

In terms of aging well (which I think is an excellent goal!) I would go for any movement is good movement and an excellent start.
I would consider adding five minutes standing on a wobble board or similar to keep up your balance and proprioception. Or ballet or five minutes yoga. And that’s only five minutes and you can do anything For five minutes.

This is how I’m trying to frame it in my mind @Thickasmincepie- I need to stop letting my dislike of it prevent me from doing it, and I need to just suck it up and make it part of my routine like anything else I don’t massively enjoy but have to do.

Well its a start. Why not try adding an extra 10 minute walk walking at a fast pace? I laughed at your hula hoop comment, I thought I was the only one that can't keep them up!😂

I might join you for that please!

15 minutes a day is a fantastic start and is hugely better than nothing. You won’t be able to train for a marathon this way but your goal is keeping your mobility long term and not becoming a hobby runner.
There was an public health campaign where I grew up ´push play 30 minutes a day’ encouraging people to do some kind of movement for half an hour everyday - this could include walking and could be split into 2 or even 3 bursts of 10 to 15 minutes. I think the criteria was anything that raised your heart rate.
So yeah, well done on adding 15 minutes of exercise to your day. Maybe your next step should be either to extend that by a little bit each week until you’re at more like 30minutes or keeping the 15 minute gym session and looking to add another 15 burst of activity at some other point in your day. Getting off the bus one stop early on your way to work or walking up and down your stairs at home for 15 minutes would do it. Or a 15 minute exercice video from YouTube.

Oh and also I made a difference to my fitness doing joe wicks ten minute workout (for the over fifties ) most days for a week. It’s never have got me through a marathon, but I was definitely moving a bit better and starting to refind the ghost of my waist.

I think you're doing really well and if you carry on you will be able to gradually increase it, probably without even realising that you are.

AIBU to think I can improve my fitness levels in this way? Or is it not long enough to make a difference?

YABU

Getting fit is really hard. I do around 3 really tough 60minute sessions a week, plus easy stuff like Pilates and yoga. There are points in each of my tough sessions (when I think I just can’t do it. But I grit my teeth, put my head down, and keep going.

Because being fit and mobile in my 60s (and being able to eat what I like) is worth the few hours of difficulty.

It is hard at first but it gets better. Do a graduated programme which starts slow and gradually builds up.

Or if you’re wedded to only 15 minutes of cardio, set the treadmill at a challenging speed - start at around 10kph but you should eventually be able to go faster at your age - and do 20seconds on, 40 seconds off. Do this fifteen times, 3 times a week.

Each week, increase the time ON the treadmill, so week 2, try for 25 seconds on, 35 seconds off. Week3 aim for 30seconds on, 30 seconds off. Week4, 40 seconds on, 20seconds rest.

When that feels bearable, do it all again, but with an increase in speed.

You’ll need to learn how to jump on and off a moving treadmill of course!

Oh! I see you’re already walking to the gym and back - so adding another 20mins to the 15 at the gym. This is great! Keep doing it. You might find the walk gets faster as your fitness improves.
Look up ´incidental exercise’. I am ok fitness wise (not fantastic but enough to keep my weight under control and keep my joints and muscles moving ok) and I do almost no organized or deliberate exercise but a lot of incidental exercise because I don’t have a car and our building has no lift.
You might find you can add some incidental exercise into your daily/weekly routine fairly easily. - even things like parking further away from work/the shops will add exercise into your day.

@worriedaboutfitness

This is a really interesting perspective *@NeverDropYourMooncup*- I do walk about 10-15 mins to the gym and then back again afterwards so I suppose that counts too! I might try exactly what you’ve suggested here tomorrow- a small amount of cardio to warm up, some weight machines, then again to cool down.

It sounds silly but it’s really nice to hear of so many people who also feel like exercise is a chore! All I ever seem to hear off friends and loved ones is how exercise gives them endorphins and makes them feel amazing and I’ve always felt like a weirdo because it definitely doesn’t do that for me!

As you have knee pain, I'd suggest that this might be related to being slightly weaker on one side with your leg/hip muscles. I found the rower was the best cardio machine for not irritating my weaker side, compared to the bikes or other machines, as the weakness meant my right leg turned in slightly.

What really, really helped though, was using the adductor and abductor machines (legs together and legs apart), along with leg press (damn sight easier than squats) and leg curls (chance to lie down at my gym). I also had orthotics which ensured it wasn't made worse by the stresses of overpronating - when your ankles fall in - also improved by strengthening my leg and hip muscles.

Some days, I stick to all legs (as the rower also does cardio, abdominals, back and shoulders), some days I do the rower and then something else because it feels as though I need it. And some days, I stay at home and just do ballet type moves or stretches.

If I had the choice/money, I'd have a membership at a place with a pool, as I'd also bargain with myself that I could go for a leisurely stretch and swim/sit in the sauna and steam room once I'd done my ten/twenty minutes - but I was very happy when I started getting the buzz, as it made it all so much easier even without a pool at the end.

These days, I'm insufferably bouncy and happy afterwards - I'm definitely not one of those who think it doesn't count unless you feel like dying, you're puking or can't walk. My absolute limit is slightly jellified legs afterwards, but I usually leave whilst I feel I could do more.

And foam rollers are evil but are brilliant for working out any aches the following day.

I'm never going to be superfit, slim or stacked, but it makes me happy and feel far better, both in general and when I look in the mirror. Which is what matters, really.

OP, Google EvaFitness on YouTube. They’re kind of like souped up aerobics classes and there are loads that are about 20 minutes long. They’re fast and fun and pretty easy to do once you get into them.

Thanks @LaChanticleer- but honestly everything you said there terrifies me! I’d never be able to do regular 60 minute intense sessions, I can’t get on a moving treadmill, and while yoga and Pilates are “easy” to you they definitely aren’t to me. Your perspective on exercise is the sort I’m used to hearing and frankly it’s contributed to putting me off all this time- I’m in awe of anyone who can push their body like that though, and wish I could be more like that.