How do I learn to love exercise?

[Baldieheid]

Anyone any tricks to make exercising less of a chore? I work out at home and I have to FORCE myself to do it, which means I just don't. I've always got an excuse. I'm not motivated at all. Why not, I don't know. I feel horrible the way I am at the moment. I feel achy and I frighten myself with how much harder everything is to do compared to a couple of years ago. I can't go on like this. But even that's not enough to make me do it.

Does anyone else struggle? I don't understand why I'm putting these roadblocks in my own way...it's beyond stupid. I'm being a total idiot and I'm disgusted with myself.

You need to go to a class. It makes me go, and I’m friendly with the ladies tnere.

I second previous poster - you need to find an exercise you enjoy in the company of others, because it makes me work so much harder when they are there to spur me on. Swimming has changed my life, lost over 4 stone, really enjoy the feeling in water, no sweat, no fuss… it doesn’t feel like exercise when it’s fun and you stop every now and again for a chat with others, who then persuade you to keep going.

I do it very first thing in the morning. Get up and go. It means it’s done and out of the way for the day.

I second the advice to go to a class if you can - it's the only thing that really motivates me. I've paid for it, so that means if I don't go I lose money, and also the instructor pushes me more than I would myself.
I also found that after a while it just becomes part of your routine, and when you start to see and feel changes in your body that is motivating as well.

Or if that's not financially possible, just try to mix it up with other types of exercise or other videos. If you find something you click with better it might help.

'I do it very first thing in the morning. Get up and go. It means it’s done and out of the way for the day.'

Same here. I think it's totally normal to find exercise a chore, but the impact on your health and strength is so worth it. I often remind myself that I don't have to like it, I just have to do it!

Sounds cliched but find something you enjoy doing and do that. I hate getting hot a sweaty, but love going for a walk in nature. I'm not a big fan of lifting weights or 'going to the gym' but do enjoy classes especially anything dance based, Pilates or yoga. I hate anything to do with cycling or exercise bikes, just find it uncomfortable, and unappealing. But I love swimming, indoors or outdoors. It helped me to remember things I enjoyed in childhood, like skipping and hula hooping, and having a go as an adult, instead of limiting myself to more formal activities. Having fun and enjoying my body has repaired my relationship with exercise. It also costs a lot less than a gym membership

Could you dance?

Or horse ride?

Or do a racket sport?

Or just walk fast and listen to podcasts?

It’s not realistic to expect it to be enjoyable always but it helps if it’s not something you hate!

Some form of tracking journal will help you get through the boring painful initial work of getting fit.

And, keeping in mind that good health is one of the most important things in our lives, I saw on sm today someone saying:

“If you think the price of succeeding is too high … wait until you get the bill from regret”

I'm not a massively sociable person but you actually might be onto something with classes. 20+ years ago I did spin classes and absolutely loved them. We had to give up our gym memberships for financial reasons but there's a few newish locations within a 20 min drive from home that might be cheaper than Bannatynes.

I'm a bit reluctant to sign a contract as I have health issues that flare up now and again forcing me to stop, but I see a local gym with a rolling monthly contrac.t..

Find something you can enjoy.

I like the Our Parks Couch to Fitness programme, it's built like C25K but a home workout so no equipment needed and it starts out easier then gets gradually harder. They also have several instructors in each video doing variations of the movements so you can pick one you can do.

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLzyGqy4hi5yAr4wQImo5HgwZIZ58PVyY-

If I want something more fun and silly because I need to cheer up or energise a bit then I do an Emkfit YouTube video which is HIIT dance workouts that are themed, so Grease, emo from 2000s.... usually have me laughing at myself and sweating because I can't do the moves but I love shouting along to the music and giving it a go.

You have no idea how much this has just lifted my heart. I've always believed it when people say how much they love working out and felt like I must be a total slob.

You're right. I don't have to love it, do i?

Thank you. thank you so much for this total lightbulb moment.

There’s loads of ways to think about it and tricks to use, but trying to be short and sweet: buy the book ‘No Sweat’ by Michelle Segar.

Find a form of exercise you actually enjoy. I hated the gym and HIIT classes. I started aerial hoop and similar and it's the only form of exercise I've stuck to

I hate it, which is why I do it at 6am! I do HIIT on Apple Fitness which I hate less than everything else. I know that I feel good afterwards too.

Find something you enjoy. Look at pay-as-you-go classes at the local authority sports centre.

Even if you hate the class, it takes your mind off everything else for the duration of the class.
You have to keep going or you'll not get toned. Skipping a session means the next one will be hard.

I'm finding it very hard. I've been told to do lots of core exercises but it's torturous in terms of boredom. It's taking me 45 mins in the morning to go through all the things I've been advised to do and it's so dull and I find myself thinking I could be using the time to do some work emails instead. I can't get to classes as have young DC and work full time.

Exercise is activity specific. Few people love "exercise". You need to find an activity you enjoy

I find exercising at home really hard. I have all the time to exercise, but no specific time to exercise...so it just drifts and I don't do it. I have space to exercise but no specific place to exercise....so I never go to a spot designed for the purpose. I always find a million other things to do to avoid it and then oops another day is gone.

Going somewhere to exercise - the park/the local swimming baths/ local gym/the pay per visit council gym - at a certain time once or more a week is more my thing.

I have a saying - if it's in my diary, I do it. Once I've done it, I put a tick by it and mark it in again for the following day/week.

Once you've exercised you do feel better for it and you get a rush of pride for having hauled yourself off the sofa. If you never get to exercise you never have that feeling. Create that feeling at a regular appointment and you will want to repeat it.

'You have no idea how much this has just lifted my heart. I've always believed it when people say how much they love working out and felt like I must be a total slob.'

Oh bless you, I'm so glad! I'm in the gym 4 times a week, at 7am, and do various walks and yoga sessions as well. I'm what some people would call a 'gym bunny'. But I swear that 80% of the time when the alarm goes off, I'm like 'oh god no please not today' 😁 I love the results, but the getting out of bed and the sweating, not so much!

You're no slob, you're entirely normal! Keep at it 💪

I workout at home. I like to follow a class format as left to my own devices I do a half hearted workout and give up too easily.

I use the Peloton app (not just bike workouts), Les Mills app and Caroline Girvan on YouTube. I find I can push much harder when I'm following instructions and really enjoy my workouts.

To quote Jess Sim's from Peloton -

"You don't have to, you get to"
"The difference between who you are and who you want to be is what you do"
"Never easy, always worth it"

You're all so right, thank you. It's such a relief to find others fighting against their inclination to lie on the sofa.

I used to pay as you go at my local gym, but I enjoyed the class so much that I joined .

@Baldieheid you could be me writing this. DH doesn't get it but I really don't enjoy it. I force myself to the gym but once there, it's not too bad. I enjoy swimming to say I love swimming is a stretch too far but the faff of getting wet then showering, drying hair etc just puts me off.
I dd go to netball which I really enjoyed but I'm rubbish at it and everyone else got better and better. I then felt like the fat unfit one who dropped the ball and it became self fulfilling prophecy. I need a true beginners class rather than one open to everyone including beginners iyswim.

I think accepting that you will never like it is the answer.
I think most people despise it but do it anyway.
I think I read that 70% of the time you are going to hate it, 20% find it bearable only and 10% of the time, actually enjoy it.
One in 10 times you do the exercises, you will like it.
but 100% of the time you will be glad you did it.

I'm like this. I hate doing it. It's a bloody chore!

@NCTDN D'you fancy starting a MN crap netball team? I love it but am soooo useless at it that I can't find a team bad enough to have me. We could do a bit of dropping balls at vital moments, trip over then all have a fag and a coffee.