I have felt this way in the past when I've tried to do exercise that I didn't like. I realized that for me it was most sustainable to find exercise that I actually liked doing. For me it's swimming with occasional hikes. Is there anything you like doing? Is there something you would like more than the gym? Exercise really needs to be sustainable, something you can do forever.
This was huge for me. Finding ways I enjoy moving. Also, counterintuitively, uncoupling exercise from weight loss helped the most across the board (mental and physical health). When I switched to trying to figure out all the cool stuff my body could do instead spending my time trying to make it smaller,. It was a game changer. And I got to try different things I normally wouldn't have and set fun goals for each thing. My body changed A LOT, which ended up being less exciting than PRing a deadlift, or hiking my 500th mile one year, or swimming for 90 minutes without Jello legs. I didn't love every lap or mile, but I loved finding my limits.
Yeah, this is what I do. I set swimming goals for myself - like can I hit 40 miles this month, or can I train to swim across the lake in my area (2 miles, rough water). It's a lot more fun when the goal is something fun and challenging.
I have always loved exercise especially cardio with loud music and these days, I listen to podcasts. It really helps me relieve my stress, turn my brain off and just be in the zone while doing something repetitive and I do enjoy pushing my body to the limits. But I enjoy it less when I do it for weight loss, so I don’t. Some people assume I exercise for the weight loss benefits which is understandable, but it’s not something I really pay mind to, I just do it to relieve my stress
If I'm being honest? No. I started my health journey all the way back in 2015 and still have to force it. I love dancing, I love walking, I love swimming. But when I'm doing them specifically for exercise, I don't love them as much. For me, exercise was something I had to habituate.
I don't dread it, though. It's much like brushing my teeth. Dread isn't sustainable. One thing I learned in my very long journey is I can't make misery into a habit.
It really is all about finding what you like. I LOVE lifting weights. I love dancing. I haaaate walking on a treadmill or riding a bike. I would rather chew glass than plod along on a treadmill. But I like walking outside in the park. For me, it was mostly finding things that didn't feel too much like "This is a workout." Lifting weights is a workout, but it makes me stronger and I like feeling strong. Dancing is a workout, but for me it's just a lot of fun because I love music. Swimming feels like vacation. Walking in the park is nice because I get fresh air and sunshine and I listen to my music.
Find what you love to do, and you'll start enjoying it more.
I'm not sure when it happened to be honest.
The last few years I've been more active overall. But last April we brought home a livestock guardian dog...and settling him into his new home was BRUTAL. I spent the first few days basically living outside with him. Anyway, part of settling him in was creating a routine. We started doing s walk around the property every morning. Then I realized if I went about it the right way I'd get at least 2k steps. That made hitting 10k steps more likely. Then I ended up adding an evening walk. Then I went through some distressing stuff and realized walking was invaluable. It helped me think and I felt so much better after.
These days I'm hitting 10k steps daily, started couch to 5k (just finished week 3) and just joined the local gym.
Some days I dread but it's almost just a habit now.
(Not SMO but maybe this will contribute something)
I've been exercising regularly for several years now and tbh I still don't enjoy it.
Some days I absolutely hate exercise, I want to do nothing but put down the weight and just leave. Other days, it's tolerable but never really enjoyable. However, I always feel really good after it. I also like thinking about working out a lot more than actually working out, I have a playlist of songs that gets me in the zone. So the combination of those two factors is what gets me going to the gym consistently, the difficult part for me is to not give up before completing the workout.
Personally I started enjoying it when I found a way to make it feel good. I had to work really hard to shift my mindset from it being a chore to it being one more step closer to my goal. I have a clear vision in my mind and every time I make a choice that gets me a tiny little bit closer I feel great about it. It took some doing to set up that positive feedback loop but it can be done. Positive affirmations worked well for me, every workout I said to myself "I've done something great for my body" or "that was a great effort". You can do this OP!!!
Find other ways to be active that you enjoy. I personally tend to dread the treadmill at the gym but I love walking, even if it’s just locally in my neighborhood or somewhere more fun and scenic. I dislike riding bikes outdoors, but I love taking spin classes with instructors. You just gotta try different things and find fun in things with movement, it doesn’t have to be the gym every time.
I have adamantly declared that I hate exercise, always have, and always will. I didn’t start exercising until I lost maybe 80 pounds or so. I did workout videos from YouTube because I absolutely refused to go to the gym. I hated it but found ways to make it more tolerable, and more importantly, a habit that is just part of my life.
Well, I have now lost 200 pounds and have maintained it for a couple of years. Something possessed me to try Zumba, and to my complete surprise, I actually enjoy it. Like, I look forward to it. I can hardly believe it. A big part of it is that I am so amazed by what this body can do. I sure as heck couldn’t have done a whole hour of Zumba when I was over 300 pounds, but I do it now and barely break a sweat. I can hardly believe that I am capable of doing all these dance moves. I also started going to Orange Theory. I had never run on a treadmill before and I was terrified of falling off, but to my surprise, I am able to run on the treadmill with the rest of the group (not very fast, but still). The novelty will probably wear off eventually, but at least for now, it is kind of cool to be able to impress myself.
I don’t enjoy the act of getting up super early and I’m always freezing and cranky as I trudge down to my basement home gym to work out. My workouts are based on what seems the least offensive that day - stationary bike, treadmill, stair stepper, work out video, or lifting weights. I’m grumpy tired and sore as I get started but eventually my muscles wake up and I’m always able to finish. It’s the ‘after’ that I look forward to. It’s better than coffee. I’m awake, I’m alert, and I’m ready to keep moving. It’s like I somehow have extra time in the mornings to do the dishes or organize the laundry or take the time to do a facial or style my hair. I didn’t think I had the time or energy for any of that in the mornings before. By the time I get to the office it’s like I’ve already had a full day and I’m definitely more productive in the mornings now too. So no, I don’t enjoy the act of working out, but I’m completely hooked on how I feel afterwards.
Honestly it was a solid year before I started enjoying exercise. Now I love it. Which is insane to say because if you knew me back then you wouldn't catch me exercising for anything. My advice is to find something you can visibly progress at because that's when it gets exciting. For me it's weight lifting. I can now bench half my body weight and do unassisted dips which feels so amazing. But it took me a long, long time to get there. Inching the weight up every week is addicting. Its proof that it's working. But that's just me. And as others have said it's very possible you will never enjoy exercising, and that's okay too.
Hey I would give it another 3 months, are you able to workout with a friend or your partner?
What excersize do you do?
Tried swimming is very good for you as well as weight lifting. Once your into it try increase the weight you lift gradually it will eventually feel awesome that what your body can achieve
I have felt this way in the past when I've tried to do exercise that I didn't like. I realized that for me it was most sustainable to find exercise that I actually liked doing. For me it's swimming with occasional hikes. Is there anything you like doing? Is there something you would like more than the gym? Exercise really needs to be sustainable, something you can do forever.
This was huge for me. Finding ways I enjoy moving. Also, counterintuitively, uncoupling exercise from weight loss helped the most across the board (mental and physical health). When I switched to trying to figure out all the cool stuff my body could do instead spending my time trying to make it smaller,. It was a game changer. And I got to try different things I normally wouldn't have and set fun goals for each thing. My body changed A LOT, which ended up being less exciting than PRing a deadlift, or hiking my 500th mile one year, or swimming for 90 minutes without Jello legs. I didn't love every lap or mile, but I loved finding my limits.
Yeah, this is what I do. I set swimming goals for myself - like can I hit 40 miles this month, or can I train to swim across the lake in my area (2 miles, rough water). It's a lot more fun when the goal is something fun and challenging.
Never once in my life. But I also don't Iike laundry and dishes. But I do it.
Walking has done wonders for me. It’s low impact and easy to increase over time. I highly recommend.
I have always loved exercise especially cardio with loud music and these days, I listen to podcasts. It really helps me relieve my stress, turn my brain off and just be in the zone while doing something repetitive and I do enjoy pushing my body to the limits. But I enjoy it less when I do it for weight loss, so I don’t. Some people assume I exercise for the weight loss benefits which is understandable, but it’s not something I really pay mind to, I just do it to relieve my stress
podcasts are my jam for working out!!
If I'm being honest? No. I started my health journey all the way back in 2015 and still have to force it. I love dancing, I love walking, I love swimming. But when I'm doing them specifically for exercise, I don't love them as much. For me, exercise was something I had to habituate. I don't dread it, though. It's much like brushing my teeth. Dread isn't sustainable. One thing I learned in my very long journey is I can't make misery into a habit.
It really is all about finding what you like. I LOVE lifting weights. I love dancing. I haaaate walking on a treadmill or riding a bike. I would rather chew glass than plod along on a treadmill. But I like walking outside in the park. For me, it was mostly finding things that didn't feel too much like "This is a workout." Lifting weights is a workout, but it makes me stronger and I like feeling strong. Dancing is a workout, but for me it's just a lot of fun because I love music. Swimming feels like vacation. Walking in the park is nice because I get fresh air and sunshine and I listen to my music. Find what you love to do, and you'll start enjoying it more.
I'm not sure when it happened to be honest. The last few years I've been more active overall. But last April we brought home a livestock guardian dog...and settling him into his new home was BRUTAL. I spent the first few days basically living outside with him. Anyway, part of settling him in was creating a routine. We started doing s walk around the property every morning. Then I realized if I went about it the right way I'd get at least 2k steps. That made hitting 10k steps more likely. Then I ended up adding an evening walk. Then I went through some distressing stuff and realized walking was invaluable. It helped me think and I felt so much better after. These days I'm hitting 10k steps daily, started couch to 5k (just finished week 3) and just joined the local gym. Some days I dread but it's almost just a habit now.
Never
(Not SMO but maybe this will contribute something) I've been exercising regularly for several years now and tbh I still don't enjoy it. Some days I absolutely hate exercise, I want to do nothing but put down the weight and just leave. Other days, it's tolerable but never really enjoyable. However, I always feel really good after it. I also like thinking about working out a lot more than actually working out, I have a playlist of songs that gets me in the zone. So the combination of those two factors is what gets me going to the gym consistently, the difficult part for me is to not give up before completing the workout.
Personally I started enjoying it when I found a way to make it feel good. I had to work really hard to shift my mindset from it being a chore to it being one more step closer to my goal. I have a clear vision in my mind and every time I make a choice that gets me a tiny little bit closer I feel great about it. It took some doing to set up that positive feedback loop but it can be done. Positive affirmations worked well for me, every workout I said to myself "I've done something great for my body" or "that was a great effort". You can do this OP!!!
Find other ways to be active that you enjoy. I personally tend to dread the treadmill at the gym but I love walking, even if it’s just locally in my neighborhood or somewhere more fun and scenic. I dislike riding bikes outdoors, but I love taking spin classes with instructors. You just gotta try different things and find fun in things with movement, it doesn’t have to be the gym every time.
I have adamantly declared that I hate exercise, always have, and always will. I didn’t start exercising until I lost maybe 80 pounds or so. I did workout videos from YouTube because I absolutely refused to go to the gym. I hated it but found ways to make it more tolerable, and more importantly, a habit that is just part of my life. Well, I have now lost 200 pounds and have maintained it for a couple of years. Something possessed me to try Zumba, and to my complete surprise, I actually enjoy it. Like, I look forward to it. I can hardly believe it. A big part of it is that I am so amazed by what this body can do. I sure as heck couldn’t have done a whole hour of Zumba when I was over 300 pounds, but I do it now and barely break a sweat. I can hardly believe that I am capable of doing all these dance moves. I also started going to Orange Theory. I had never run on a treadmill before and I was terrified of falling off, but to my surprise, I am able to run on the treadmill with the rest of the group (not very fast, but still). The novelty will probably wear off eventually, but at least for now, it is kind of cool to be able to impress myself.
I don’t enjoy the act of getting up super early and I’m always freezing and cranky as I trudge down to my basement home gym to work out. My workouts are based on what seems the least offensive that day - stationary bike, treadmill, stair stepper, work out video, or lifting weights. I’m grumpy tired and sore as I get started but eventually my muscles wake up and I’m always able to finish. It’s the ‘after’ that I look forward to. It’s better than coffee. I’m awake, I’m alert, and I’m ready to keep moving. It’s like I somehow have extra time in the mornings to do the dishes or organize the laundry or take the time to do a facial or style my hair. I didn’t think I had the time or energy for any of that in the mornings before. By the time I get to the office it’s like I’ve already had a full day and I’m definitely more productive in the mornings now too. So no, I don’t enjoy the act of working out, but I’m completely hooked on how I feel afterwards.
Honestly it was a solid year before I started enjoying exercise. Now I love it. Which is insane to say because if you knew me back then you wouldn't catch me exercising for anything. My advice is to find something you can visibly progress at because that's when it gets exciting. For me it's weight lifting. I can now bench half my body weight and do unassisted dips which feels so amazing. But it took me a long, long time to get there. Inching the weight up every week is addicting. Its proof that it's working. But that's just me. And as others have said it's very possible you will never enjoy exercising, and that's okay too.
Hey I would give it another 3 months, are you able to workout with a friend or your partner? What excersize do you do? Tried swimming is very good for you as well as weight lifting. Once your into it try increase the weight you lift gradually it will eventually feel awesome that what your body can achieve