Combine with work. Birds and stones.
Try different things until you find something that feels good even as an idea. Think about things you like doing and how you like them. For me, I dislike team sports and being surrounded by people in a gym setting. I like doing things on my own, preferably at home while not talking to anyone. I first start thinking about maybe enjoying a spooky story podcast while walking so I start thinking about the temperature and the things I like watching while I’m out, etc. Same for weight lifting, pilates and yoga (Those are my cyclical workouts. I get bored easily) I hype myself up in my head first and then use the “do it for five minutes” method.
I have NEVER said “Well I wish I didn’t come to yoga. This class sucked” “That lifting routine was a total waste of time. Not doing it again”
Also, having cute/neat stuff for it helps, just beware of spending habits. Did I need to buy green yoga blocks? No Do they make me Happy everytime I look how they are the exact same shade as my pothos? Yes they do.
I second this comment. Podcast suggestions? I loved:
- We’re alive
- The walk
- The Magnus archives
Oh nice selection you got there!
I like Mr Ballen’s early stuff, Raven reads, some Mr. Nightmare here and there, Coffeehouse crime is another favorite.
In spanish I like Relatos de la Noche and La voz que lo cuenta todo.
find an activity that you legitimately enjoy. that’s it
Well, shit.
Trial a load of sports. One will click.
wasn’t trying to be flippant or trivialize this but at the core it’s what is needed
I found that trying to distract or occupy my mind while trying to work wasn’t enough, for example watching a show or listening to music while using my row erg as a primary workout. Still found myself counting down the time and minutes
I climb shit. In the gym and outside. It feeds my inner child, it’s fun, it’s exciting, and it involves problem solving so stimulates the mind. Rowing and biking are now secondary exercises or activities to support my climbing fitness and ability. I find doing them with less intensity, less often, and as support (shorter duration) makes it easier for me to digest because I know it will better me for what I truly enjoy. Along the way you just may find yourself growing to accept, like or love something.
Kinda gotta find workable angles that suit your mind and goals. eventually you’ll have tricked yourself into becoming a healthy bastard who has some fun along the way
Sorry, I totally wasn’t trying to be dismissive either, but I think it came across like that. When depression gets bad it’s just hard to find anything enjoyable, and sticking with it anyway is real hard. I’ll just have to keep at it until something clicks I guess.
Not the person you replied to, but I’ve also experienced depression. Just let me add that exercise doesn’t “feel good” either during or after a workout, but once it becomes part of the weekly routine, yes, let me repeat that- routine - the impact on mental health starts to show as well. It’s tricky because it’s not so much a “positive feeling”, instead, it takes the edge off the blues and anxiety.
I’ve also noticed the thoughts that swim in my head all the time tend to be more positive after a workout. This feels completely out of my control, if you ever tried meditation and found it really hard to clear your mind of thoughts you’ll know what I mean. But, for example, immediately after exercise I have a tendency to think or remember positive moments in my life or positive people. Worst case scenario, if I was on a trend of self sabotaging thoughts or constantly going over resentment and painful memories, those thoughts are likely to stop after a workout for a while. If I really want to I can of course think of whatever I want, but soon again I’ll catch myself with some positive thoughts.
My two cents. Hopefully this adds up.
The other side of the coin is that it should be something that you do on a regular schedule with other people who you enjoy being around.
Fun and accountability are the keys.
I can emphasize.
I only found out with past 40 why that is, because I am a medically very curious case. Happy to have found out it’s not my fault but it still sucks the same.
well thats not going to happen.
activity causes pain and exhaustion, both things i am very much not fond of.
Have you tried biking? I like it because it’s so easy to zone out with (and easier on the knees than running).
You can buy a cheap standing bike and watch shows or read books; and, if you go outside to bike, you get the benefit of the sun and trees. If they have rentable electric bikes, those can make the exertion part easier (and, if it feels like cheating, it’s still more exercise than you’d’ve otherwise been getting; plus studies have shown that some people, with electric bikes, ride for longer periods than those who don’t because they’re having so much fun).
I’ve never enjoyed anything at all in my life.
Get a sword and hit things.
So we need to harness your disdain and hatred and work with that…
what do you hate most?
Opinionated software.
Perfect, Grok it is
I hike/walk daily with my dog. ~8km per day, although some days are shorter, some are longer.
is your dog Clifford?
No, not last I checked… Why?
This is what I did. I joined a football league for fatties and it’s helping keep me active whilst not being massively outclassed by people younger and/or fitter than me 🤣 there’s no pressure to be ‘good’ at it, as the weightloss aspect of the game is more important.
Holy crap, How does one find something like that
still trying to get laid daily as a form of exercise…
This is the way.
And ideally also something that doesn’t require too much preparation. If it takes a long time to prepare for or get back after you are usually less likely to do it.
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Last time I enjoyed myself doing exercise, I probably played table tennis with a tennis ball and hands as paddles. The hard part is finding people who have time when you do, and who are on a similar skill+fitness level as you (picking silly games like the one I described helps).
So yeah, I’m not getting much exercise, either.
Cycling/Spinning
It’s usually low impact on the knees & backs of perrenial beginners like me. If I’m stationary cycling, I can sneak in my favorite entertainment to make the time fly by.
I enjoy the social aspect of running. Parkruns, Strava, meeting friends and getting coffee after etc.
I lost 30lbs and doubled my muscle mass by doing a gentle calisthenics routine to failure every night while watching the whole series for King of the Hill. I found it kept me busy enough to not notice how much I hated exercise but it wasn’t distracting enough to need to stop and watch.
What did this routine look like?
20 pushups, 20 crunches, 20 squats, 20 good morning’s, 30-60 second plank, 30 second deep breathing stretch. Repeat this routine until you can’t keep proper form then stop for the day. Takes maybe 15min to do 4 reps
I greatly appreciate your comments and clarification, and I don’t mean this in a rude way but… that’s not gentle for most of us 😅
That’s perfectly cool, I started this whole working at a pretty lift heavy job so I had already had some muscles to work with. Do the same rotation, just do 5 each. When of feels like it’s easy, step it up.
I’m a lifetime noodle armed gamer, if I can pull this off, you can. I believe in you.
I like exercise that is also something else and isn’t purely exercise for its own sake. Things like hiking, where I get to see scenery and animals, or biking, which serves as a mode of transportation. Currently, I do renaissance fencing, which is fun and social in its own right, and I get to master a skill.
The amount of sword artists in this comment thread is higher than I expected.
Flow arts
It became an addiction. It helps to relax. Not a gym rat. But almost. Need to go everyday. Far away to have those extra big muscles. But the “legs day” are… horrible… It hurts a lot…
No one needs to go every day. Recovery is important. 3 or 4 days a week is quite adequate.
There’s no “need” but after going to the gym every day for a couple months… Yeah you need to go every day. I start feeling restless if I don’t go do something at the gym. Mon-tue and thur-fri weightlifting (different muscle group every day) and the rest cardio/stretching/light weights.
Work out watch star trek. By the season 4 you’ll be made of steel
Hold up. Which series? You starting with the original or with Next Generation?
That depends, how massive do you want to be?
I put some vtubers when running.
Find sports that you actually enjoy - try out different things. In my case:
- Cardio: running fucking sucks, swimming is boring as shit. Cycling, on the other hand, is pretty fun. Feels like flying when everything aligns.
- Strength: lifting weights at the gym is doable, but boring. Climbing? Hell yeah, give me more routes where I have to tie myself into a knot while pulling up all my weight with my fingertips.
It can be an exact opposite of it for you. Or you’ll find out that team sports are the bees knees because support from other people is what you’ve been missing.
Combining fun with short-term goals is what works for me. I started playing squash 10 years ago and I love it. I play 3 times a week and that takes care of most of my cardio. Now when I lift weights or do extra cardio, it is because I want to beat that guy from league, move up a division, etc. Open ended reasons like health or beauty were never enough motivation for me.
I want to beat that guy from league
Kinda same here. I want to argue with people. You know those people who promote their bs but you can’t disprove it since the others call you skinny or not strong enough.
I used to hate running until one day something clicked in my brain. I just ran my second half marathon last week. One thing I learned was that of your dying from running, you’re probably going too fast and should just slow down.
My PT told me that the best exercise is the one that you can do consistently
the runner’s high maybe? seems like it’s bad for your knees though.
None. I enjoy exercise itself. No music, no tech, no nothing. Just a program and a timer. When I’m running, I get runner’s high. When I’m doing calisthenics, I look forward to doing advanced moves.
