If you're not naturally sporty but found something you love...WHAT IS IT?!

[ExerciseWoes]

Yes I'm posting shamelessly for traffic!

I'm hoping for some inspiration please MN.

I was always slim-ish before my son was born but I really just maintained this through eating well rather than any form of exercise.

I've never liked exercise, never enjoyed sports at all. I've tried gyms, I've managed to stick with them for months at a time but never got that "omg I'm totally addicted, love being here" feeling, it was an utter chore every time and I hated it that much that it always eventually fizzled out.

Anyway, since my son a year ago, eating well is not going great. I don't eat appallingly but meals tend to be faster / not as healthy / quick grab something whilst he's quiet style and I'm finding myself really unhappy with my body.

I want to start doing something to get into shape but what?!

My husband has suggested running but it's never ever appealed to me, I really can't imagine liking it. I am quite well... endowed in the ahem chest area... And whenever I've tried anything like the treadmill or a jog I've felt uncomfortable for the entire time. DH just seems to think I've not been trying good enough sports bras and perhaps a decent one could make it bearable?

Anyway... I'm open to trying almost anything..

If you're not naturally sporty but have really gotten "into" something, what is it?! The cheaper the better!

Another taekwondo convert here. I took it up aged 33 and have loved it ever since. It teaches strength, cardio, precision and almost dance like qualities

I did try running but couldn't stand it sadly, my husband is a runner and tried to do it with me but found it frustrating that I was so slow. He did the first four weeks of taekwondo with me as a trial and hated it so guess everyone has their 'thing'.

I hated PE and Games at school, but I learned to swim as an adult, and loved it so much. For many years I swam every week, and I think it does keep you fit and flexible, and it's just so enjoyable!

Zumba.I'd do it every day if I could!

I've been taking ballet classes since I was 30. I'm 40 and never been stronger or more more flexible. I'll still never be very good but people tell me I look like a dancer so what more could you want! I've taken exams, earned my pointe shoes and all whilst only taking a couple of classes a week. I highly recommend dance!

Hated PE at school and not at all sporty. Turns out I love hiking and am stronger and more agile than I ever thought BUT it’s not very convenient for regular exercise.

Do quite like boxing

Peloton! I absolutely adore it, 3 years on and still love love love it

If you want to get into running and have big boobs an Elomi energise bra is a game changer, I thought shock absorber were good, but this thing is like a suit of armour crossed with a snuggly little bowl you sit your boobies in - they just don’t move!

Also spinning classes or Les Mills Sprint - nothing else gives quite the same exercise high for me!

I am the least likely to exercise person I know having hated it since forced PE in school! But over lockdown I found Plyojam which made me fall in love with exercising! It’s plyometric dance workouts to old and new music! They have lots of workouts on YouTube so you don’t even need to sign up but if you do, they offer a free trial & it’s not that expensive for a subscription which can be cancelled at any time! I love the music element & they also have different levels of difficulty & then have low impact versions too!

Triathlon!!

If you'd ever told me as a teen I would be doing triathlon as an adult I would've laughed at you.

Running - meh I have a love hate relationship with it and has to be outside, treadmill is boring!

Cycling - great fun especially with friends/group

Swimming - pool is boring as hell but I LOVE open water

But put all 3 together and I feel like I've found my calling !!!

I've found running clubs to be cliquey and cycling clubs competitive. But tri clubs are so inclusive it's unbelievable, doesn't matter your age or ability everybody cheers each other on. Even at races the atmosphere is unbelievably friendly and they're like one big party!!

Hi, my “go to” exercise is rebounding.

I have pretty large boobs, so I do wear a sport bra if I’m planning to get energetic on it, but otherwise, I know I need not do that if I just let the rebounder take me iyswim…

With any exercise it’s always best to start off with a minimum time. It’s better for your body to do it that way, and if you at first set a tiny doable target for the first week or two, then the success of you achieving that, should spur you on to add a further five minutes each week.

I also do mine to music, so I know without necessarily looking at the clock, how many minutes have elapsed… say eg that each track is four minutes, you can get an idea that way.

Plus, if you love music, it makes it less of a chore.

I agree with pp that it’s not just motivation you need to do it, but also discipline.

If you psych yourself into thinking maybe if you don’t get off your backside you’d be letting someone down
(you would =yourSELF!)…

Also with a rebounder (prob get a cheapie on ebay, used) if it’s wet weather you’re indoors and dry, if the sun is out you can rebound in the fresh air.

The other good thing is, if your tied to your home for childcare or looking after someone, you are on hand to be alerted.

You can obviously distracted by goings on, so stick a pair of headphones on, and be transported into your own world.

Rebounding addresses you whole core.

So good for you at any age and almost any ability..

You say exercise “isn’t you”, but that’s just a mindset.
Make it the NEW you!!!!

I wish you all the luck in the world, but please take it from me, it makes me feel so much more able, and confident.
So the benefits are way more than physical.

Walking, kayaking, outdoor swimming, climbing, and yoga.

Weights. It took me 8 weeks of forcing myself to go 3 x per week for an hour to begin to see the results and that was the point when I started to enjoy it because now I can see the effort to lift really does pay off. The 12 week mark was when I started to see defined abs. Once you get to that point, you start to look forward to improving. I can’t lie though - the first 8 weeks were bloody horrible because I was so weak.

I also try to do an hour of Pilates once a week and I really enjoy that, plus I do 15-30 mins stretching each day which is lovely before bed.

Another runner here. Didn’t take it up til I was 35, having been terrible at sport at school- and legit terrible, I have dyspraxia. Also have large boobs - now swear by Runderwear bras.

I’ve no idea what made me give it a go- and when I started C25k I couldn’t run 60s without stopping, but I signed up to do a 5k race with my (then 65 year old) mum, and the fact that she was managing spurred me on. Once I could run 5k I started doing parkrun, then I signed up for a 10k race, then a joined a running club (of lovely supportive women runners) and it’s all completely spiralled out of control, trail running at 8am on a Saturday is my idea of a good time, and quite genuinely one of my favourite experiences of last year was my first half marathon (which I managed in 2 hours, which didn’t feel too shabby given my first 5k race me 35 mins!)

And I was really NOT a runner - I came last at sports day in my teens. But I am now the fittest I’ve ever been, and it makes me really happy. And I never would have believed that could be true!

Running. Unbearable until you do couch 2 5k and then the best thing in the world. I think the designer of that system deserves as much accolade as Joe Wicks. I started in September (I'm 42) and it is the best thing I ever did. I also swim and have a personal trainer once every 2 weeks, but the running is the thing.

I love running but only in good weather. I’m also fairly well endowed in the chest area and it’s fine with a good sport bra except in the days before my period. I love my cross trainer all of the time too.

I do short bursts of YouTube aerobics. Low impact stuff but every day. I bought a rowing machine. I try to just go out for a walk daily.

Climbing

It's perfect exercise

I'm not naturally sporty at all, but in later years I've really taken to running (past trauma gave me a 'fight or flight' reflex that running helped with). I still don't really enjoy running alone but Parkrun and organised races bring me joy.

I also did pole fitness for a while that was incredible for strength, toning and general body confidence. It's not for everyone but my class had women of all shapes, sizes and ages and was very supportive. It wasn't at all about being sexy, just very strong (and brave!).

Rowing! Wish I'd discovered it in my sport hating teenage years not age 36 after kids! Great to be outside on the river, total focus required to get the motion right so it's like a kind of meditation, and there's a bit of good pressure to keep turning up as you're in a small team. Helps that my club is really friendly and happy to accept everyone regardless of skill or dedication!

Oh also YES YES to the good sports bra to make running comfortable. I'm not particularly buxom but find the first few km really uncomfortable if I'm wearing an inadequate bra. It's taken trial and error to find the right ones but I have two now that are perfect for me, not a bounce or even a jiggle. One is a Nike and the other from H&M, both pull over the head racer back crop-top types without adjustable straps or fastenings.

Swimming for me. Low impact and it relaxes me. Very inspired by the other sports on here, would love to try some others now!

Spinning

Dark room, escape from the real world, extremely rewarding, at first just keep the resistance low and gradually add more as you do more classes, you burn a lot each class, gave me lots of confidence

I was running for me. I was a PE avoider at school, but started doing a little bit of "jogging" to support a very overweight friend in our late 30s. The first few weeks were torture, but it's amazing how quickly you improve if you build up gradually and stick with it a few times a week.

Now in my 50s I'm a run leader with a club and have actually been known to win trophies in local races.

My friend lost 5 stones and is still running too. FWIW she's very well endowed and wears two sports bras to keep everything well strapped down!

Completely life changing for both of us, in far more ways than "just" being fitter.

Peloton for me, there are loads of supportive groups on FB that run challenges that keep me motivated.

If C25K isn’t your thing then how about Zombies, Run! It’s an app that is like C25K but it’s about escaping from zombies. Probably not one to run in the dark on your own with but in daylight it’s fun, honestly

Zumba