To dislike exercise?

[Differentbenefits]

I do an exercise class twice a week because I recognise its benefits but I absolutely hate it. I just find it so, so boring. The other women seem to genuinely enjoy it but I hate it.

I know the thread will fill up with telling me to do something I do enjoy but there isn’t anything. The only things I might enjoy are way too expensive and impractical to do regularly.

So - AIBU to dislike exercise? And is anyone else the same?

I also don't have endorphins. Exercise just makes me tired and grumpy and I find it so stressful. So...sort of the opposite of what it's supposed to do.

I hate exercise but do lots of it.

all at home, all for 15 mins at a time.

15 mins rowing
15 mins skipping
15 rebounder to loud musoc
10 mins weights
10 mins yoga.

I get so bored doing the same thing for over 20 mins.

skipping is great. Cardio, good for bones and toned arms ! In 15 mins a day

I hate the gym, hate running etc but I've recently started doing you tube dance classes with my DD13. Just in the living room, there are 100s on you tube and its a laugh. We did a Kpop one the other day!

I know @shadyboots2024 but that assumes you live close to a (safe) river or reservoir. I know some wild swimming takes place at a reservoir local ish but it’s still a half hour round trip and I have very young children so time is very limited.

I do exercise, I recognise I need to and so I grit my teeth and go - I reserve the right to dislike it though!

I don't like it either. I am a couch potato, always have been and I think always will be. I was totally inept at PE lessons at school because I hated exercise even then. I try to go for long walks in the local park as soon as the weather permits and that's about as much exercise as I can stand 😊

Do you do all of the list in a day or just choose 1 15 min activity?

I came on to say literally the only exercise I enjoy that I do is horse riding 🤣 TBF I've got back into hiking though & am lucky enough to have the peaks very close by.
I also run, fucking HATE it and do a kettlercise class which I hate slightly less.

Ah sorry, you weren't looking for advice, I misunderstood

I do park run and the gym and play racquet sports.
It only occurred to me last week that l NEVER feel like doing exercise but l know the feeling of satisfaction afterwards will make it worthwhile. So if l waited til l fancy it, l will never go. Apart from racquet sports - l love those!
But looking at the bigger picture, l want to be as strong as l can as l age.

😂😂😂

I'm with you OP... I find it utterly boring.
I've done boxing, tried running (but have arthritis and it just made it worse) and I'm actually a black belt in Taekwondo... got that at 48, so I CAN stick to it, I just don't get anything from it.
Now I'm 56 and I got a dog and an allotment.. fresh air, plenty of long walks and a lot of digging... gives me a much better buzz (and I get the reward of actual veg!) I might not be fit but I'm a lot happier

You're doing better than me OP as I hate exercise too and I don't do anything.

Except except that's not really true. I love walking and swimming and yoga But I was fucking traumatized by the organised bullying that passes for PE lessons in this country and it really holds me back.

The time thing is massive and I don't think you're wrong about not having time for wild swimming. I wouldn't have time to drive to a suitable location, do exercise AND get clean and dry afterwards either. That's before you factor in it not being dark and having someone else for safety. I would love to wild swim but it would have to be sea or lake. Our rivers are disgusting

I find music a big help. Obviously in a class you have to listen to the music they use, but if you are doing something by yourself you can listen to your favourite music and it really helps to get in the zone, and forget that it's hard work.

I own horses, so my main exercise is actually dragging wheelbarrows through mud and coughing up a lung when I inhale bits of hay. I can’t say I enjoy that much! The riding is nice but not really exercise in itself, unless you’re schooling multiples per day or riding out racehorses. And I say that as someone who rides at a reasonable level.

I do enjoy other exercise, but not formal classes, gyms or running, which are soul destroying for me. It is harder to do outdoor exercise at this time of year.

It’s not a binary thing though - it’s weird to me to say you don’t enjoy exercise, because it’s such a broad spectrum of activities, and I find it hard to believe you can’t find something you can do that you would enjoy. I mean, complain about the CoL making fun exercise less attainable, or the sewage issues in waterways making wild swimming less easy, or whatever - not unreasonable. But to say you don’t enjoy exercise, YABU.

My mum absolutely hates all forms of physical activity. She's recently retired but the only times she's been physically active for years is doing the weekly supermarket shop, or shopping in town (very occassionally she'll walk the 15 mins into town in the summer), housework, and some light gardening. She hates the sensation of feeling her heart beating in her chest and 'struggling to breathe' (thinks she's having a heart attack and dying?). She finds sweating uncomfortable and 'unladylike'. She's borderline obese and unfortunately the less she does, the more weight she puts on, which is definitely impacting her health. Like you OP she tolerates a weekly class (yoga), but only because we, and her therapist, strongly encouraged her to go as her anxiety/MH is terrible. Tbh I think she spends most of the class just lying down or in child's pose 😅

Despite being utterly useless at sport and athletics at school, I've somehow discovered a love of exercise as an adult and go bike touring and do triathlons. Running and cycling in particular have made such improvement to my mental health and general daily functioning. Open water swimming too. How do you feel about cycling?

Does the class push you enough? It's hard to be exercising at your limits and bored at the same time. Do you feel good afterwards?

Sounds like you need a higher impact class.

I always think the worst bit of exercise is when you're unfit and starting and it's that horrible lung burning type of unfit
I'm not consistent short term due to health issues but have managed to exercise at least once a week, every week
This year my goal is twice a week min, every week

I dislike most exercise so only do the stuff I like dance, tennis, and spinning.

I enjoy walking, running (slowly) & hiking but it has to be somewhere different. I can't do the same parkrun every weekend. I need to have variety or it's just boring.

Bodypump addict here. It is my second favourite thing in life aside from my DC.
Cannot get enough of it, been this way for 13 ish years now.
I also love a big long walk.

Do you honestly think it’s unreasonable to say that going out to a river alone, in the dark, to swim, probably isn’t a very good idea?

I have to admit I was / am finding this posters insistence of endlessly demanding I go wild swimming really tedious. I was responding nicely enough to try to be polite but when you say you know what I hate this but I do it anyway and reasonably point out why you don’t do more someone accusing you of putting up barriers is actually really irritating.

What about good old walking? Listen to music, the radio or even a podcast whilst doing so.

I hate it too. I’ve never found a form I enjoy. Every class I’ve been to I’ve been longing for the end (but forced myself to go every week) and the thought of a team sport fills me with dread. I do love getting in the sea or a river/lake, but that’s for the cold exposure rather than the exercise because I only stay in 10 minutes at most.

I enjoy walking but only if it’s somewhere picturesque or there’s something to look at and that’s more of an amble! I’m just not an exercise enjoyer.

Things I do enjoy are reading, cooking, going to the theatre, visiting museums and going on holiday. I’m a bit of an indoor cat!

I have tried many different types of exercise, but my longest lasting have been those I fit into my daily routine. When working. I would catch an earlier bus and get off earlier and walk the last couple of miles, trying to beat the time it takes me, same on the way home. Never use lifts and escalators, always stairs. I found that listening to podcasts helped pass the time, so now I have retired, I look forward to going for a walk to catch up on my podcast listening.

I hate it too, would absolutely love to find one I liked or could do well enough, as I’m another one traumatised by PE lessons and being laughed at while running at school.
I’d love to be fit and strong but I hate it and am very uncoordinated, I also am in a lot of pain after it. My back gets very painful even from walking.

I notice most people out running are constantly looking at their watches so I think they all hate it too.

I did think that was strange yes, I wouldn't get in dirty water I can't see the bottom of so I wouldn't even entertain wild swimming. Alone or otherwise.

But there are tons of other things to do.