Exercize is fun??

[Polymath257]

OK, I know a LOT of people feel energized by exercise. They feel better afterwards and it makes the rest of their day easier to get through.

I have *never* felt that. Usually, when I exercise, I just feel tired afterwards. if I am lucky, I can rebound a bit and manage to get through the rest of my day. If I am not lucky, I feel down, sore, cranky, and unable to think until I sleep.

I have tried eating protein, drinking juice, etc and NOTHING seems to help. I have never come anywhere close to a 'runner's high' or even feeling better after a workout than I did before.

I have also never found an exercise that I like for its own sake. I can *tolerate* hiking and bike riding because of the change of scenery, but the exercise itself just sucks. I have tried a variety of different types of exercise: from swimming (I sink and don't like the feeling) to working out in a gym (creeps me out, frankly), to having a personal trainer (I get through the workout, but feel crappy), etc.

I know exercise is 'good for you' which is why I do it at all. But it is hard to keep motivated when there seems to be no real payoff. I don't really care about weight loss per se (I care more about clothes fitting and having some endurance) and the changes, even over the course of a month just don't seem to be worth the misery.

Anyone else have this issue?

Any recommendations?

 

[Rational Agnostic]

OK, I know a LOT of people feel energized by exercise. They feel better afterwards and it makes the rest of their day easier to get through.

I have *never* felt that. Usually, when I exercise, I just feel tired afterwards. if I am lucky, I can rebound a bit and manage to get through the rest of my day. If I am not lucky, I feel down, sore, cranky, and unable to think until I sleep.

I have tried eating protein, drinking juice, etc and NOTHING seems to help. I have never come anywhere close to a 'runner's high' or even feeling better after a workout than I did before.

I have also never found an exercise that I like for its own sake. I can *tolerate* hiking and bike riding because of the change of scenery, but the exercise itself just sucks. I have tried a variety of different types of exercise: from swimming (I sink and don't like the feeling) to working out in a gym (creeps me out, frankly), to having a personal trainer (I get through the workout, but feel crappy), etc.

I know exercise is 'good for you' which is why I do it at all. But it is hard to keep motivated when there seems to be no real payoff. I don't really care about weight loss per se (I care more about clothes fitting and having some endurance) and the changes, even over the course of a month just don't seem to be worth the misery.

Anyone else have this issue?

Any recommendations?

I've never had a "high" from exercise either, although it does help me relax when stressed out or angry. I prefer outdoor exercise like hiking, but the main motivation is for the scenery/view as you said, not the actual exercise. Outdoor exercise like hiking with others (yeah, yeah, at a safe distance) puts me in a much better mood, but, again, not a direct result of the exercise itself. Also listening to the right kind of music while exercising can feel good or at least make you want to push harder. So, yeah I guess it's just a matter of adding fun stuff to trick yourself into enjoying it.

 

[Polymath257]

I don't tend to listen to a lot of music and when I have tried to listen while exercising it tend to 'throw me off' and make the experience even more unpleasant.

How do you deal with the after-effects? Are you energized after?

For me, it doesn't really help me to relax: I feel ugly and lethargic after.

 

[sun rise]

Especially now during the pandemic, my wife and I have found gardening to be a productive form of exercise and one with visible results.

So is there anything you're doing already which does not exercise front-and-center but which just happens to have exercise as part of what you do?

At my age, one payoff is clear: continued ability to function day-to-day by keeping muscle strength up. I don't want to degenerate into not being able to get up off the floor or out of a chair.

 

[Kenny]

I don't find exercise as a "fun" thing to do. Thus, I prefer racquetball to have exercise within the context of enjoyment.

However, I do exercise out of need to stay healthy

 

[sun rise]

I feel ugly and lethargic after.

The word 'ugly' triggered a question. OK, so you feel tired afterwards but ugly? I wonder where that comes from?

 

[Polymath257]

Especially now during the pandemic, my wife and I have found gardening to be a productive form of exercise and one with visible results.

So is there anything you're doing already which does not exercise front-and-center but which just happens to have exercise as part of what you do?

Except for exercising 'because it is good for me', no. I enjoy reading and thinking.

At my age, one payoff is clear: continued ability to function day-to-day by keeping muscle strength up. I don't want to degenerate into not being able to get up off the floor or out of a chair.

I mostly see issues with endurance, but that has always been the case (asthma contributes to this).

I *do* exercise, but it is a chore and I generally feel worse after.

 

[Vinayaka]

I've never been able to exercise for exercise sake. It's not fun. Playing recreational sports with a team is another matter. I find that there are creative ways to stay active without changing much, like walking to the store, never taking elevators, hobbies, and more.

 

[Polymath257]

The word 'ugly' triggered a question. OK, so you feel tired afterwards but ugly? I wonder where that comes from?

Not ugly in the beauty/ugly sense. More in the sense of feeling sick, irritable, and hating life. Dark.

 

[Polymath257]

I've never been able to exercise for exercise sake. It's not fun. Playing recreational sports with a team is another matter. I find that there are creative ways to stay active without changing much, like walking to the store, never taking elevators, hobbies, and more.

I've never really been into sports. Recess was my least favorite part of elementary school. And gym class the lest for after that.

I tend not to use elevators (unless the building is more than, say, 5 stories high or I am in a hurry). i also tend to take stairs two at a time. Local stores are not very accessible by walking: on busy streets and far enough away that it is risky.

 

[Left Coast]

OK, I know a LOT of people feel energized by exercise. They feel better afterwards and it makes the rest of their day easier to get through.

I have *never* felt that. Usually, when I exercise, I just feel tired afterwards. if I am lucky, I can rebound a bit and manage to get through the rest of my day. If I am not lucky, I feel down, sore, cranky, and unable to think until I sleep.

I have tried eating protein, drinking juice, etc and NOTHING seems to help. I have never come anywhere close to a 'runner's high' or even feeling better after a workout than I did before.

I have also never found an exercise that I like for its own sake. I can *tolerate* hiking and bike riding because of the change of scenery, but the exercise itself just sucks. I have tried a variety of different types of exercise: from swimming (I sink and don't like the feeling) to working out in a gym (creeps me out, frankly), to having a personal trainer (I get through the workout, but feel crappy), etc.

I know exercise is 'good for you' which is why I do it at all. But it is hard to keep motivated when there seems to be no real payoff. I don't really care about weight loss per se (I care more about clothes fitting and having some endurance) and the changes, even over the course of a month just don't seem to be worth the misery.

Anyone else have this issue?

Any recommendations?

In my experience, deriving fun or enjoyment from exercise really only comes after you gain some proficiency/strength/endurance at performing the exercise. In the beginning, it's just hard and tiring. Not sure how frequently you're currently exercising, or what your routine is like. Once you build strength/stamina, then it becomes enjoyable (for me) to try to improve your performance.

YMMV. Hope it starts to get more enjoyable soon!

 

[Shadow Wolf]

OK, I know a LOT of people feel energized by exercise. They feel better afterwards and it makes the rest of their day easier to get through.

I have *never* felt that. Usually, when I exercise, I just feel tired afterwards. if I am lucky, I can rebound a bit and manage to get through the rest of my day. If I am not lucky, I feel down, sore, cranky, and unable to think until I sleep.

I have tried eating protein, drinking juice, etc and NOTHING seems to help. I have never come anywhere close to a 'runner's high' or even feeling better after a workout than I did before.

I have also never found an exercise that I like for its own sake. I can *tolerate* hiking and bike riding because of the change of scenery, but the exercise itself just sucks. I have tried a variety of different types of exercise: from swimming (I sink and don't like the feeling) to working out in a gym (creeps me out, frankly), to having a personal trainer (I get through the workout, but feel crappy), etc.

I know exercise is 'good for you' which is why I do it at all. But it is hard to keep motivated when there seems to be no real payoff. I don't really care about weight loss per se (I care more about clothes fitting and having some endurance) and the changes, even over the course of a month just don't seem to be worth the misery.

Anyone else have this issue?

Any recommendations?

I've never heard of that before. With a personal trainer I would hope over doing ot isnt the reason (as that will cause what you describe), asides from something like that (too hard/not hard enough -but a personal trainer should have had you at the right point and on an adequate regiment, amd assuming you stuck with it long enough), I really dont know. Neurological maybe.

 

[Shadow Wolf]

In my experience, deriving fun or enjoyment from exercise really only comes after you gain some proficiency/strength/endurance at performing the exercise. In the beginning, it's just hard and tiring. Not sure how frequently you're currently exercising, or what your routine is like. Once you build strength/stamina, then it becomes enjoyable (for me) to try to improve your performance.

YMMV. Hope it starts to get more enjoyable soon!

That exactly. Once you get that strength and endurance and your body adjusts to it, you start to not only enjoy it but look forward to it. But that's most people, anyways.

 

[Polymath257]

In my experience, deriving fun or enjoyment from exercise really only comes after you gain some proficiency/strength/endurance at performing the exercise. In the beginning, it's just hard and tiring. Not sure how frequently you're currently exercising, or what your routine is like. Once you build strength/stamina, then it becomes enjoyable (for me) to try to improve your performance.

YMMV. Hope it starts to get more enjoyable soon!

Well, for example, I did a 23 mile bike ride today, a 5 mile walk yesterday, a 17 mile bike ride the day before that.

I have been doing something at least every other day since the lockdown started at the beginning of March. Usually, I do a walk or bike ride a couple of days a week and some weights a couple of other days.

On vacations, I will usually walk considerably farther: I had several days of 40,000 steps when in Europe last year.

How long is it supposed to take for the exercise to become enjoyable?

 

[Nakosis]

OK, I know a LOT of people feel energized by exercise. They feel better afterwards and it makes the rest of their day easier to get through.

I have *never* felt that. Usually, when I exercise, I just feel tired afterwards. if I am lucky, I can rebound a bit and manage to get through the rest of my day. If I am not lucky, I feel down, sore, cranky, and unable to think until I sleep.

I have tried eating protein, drinking juice, etc and NOTHING seems to help. I have never come anywhere close to a 'runner's high' or even feeling better after a workout than I did before.

I have also never found an exercise that I like for its own sake. I can *tolerate* hiking and bike riding because of the change of scenery, but the exercise itself just sucks. I have tried a variety of different types of exercise: from swimming (I sink and don't like the feeling) to working out in a gym (creeps me out, frankly), to having a personal trainer (I get through the workout, but feel crappy), etc.

I know exercise is 'good for you' which is why I do it at all. But it is hard to keep motivated when there seems to be no real payoff. I don't really care about weight loss per se (I care more about clothes fitting and having some endurance) and the changes, even over the course of a month just don't seem to be worth the misery.

Anyone else have this issue?

Any recommendations?

I used to run. Initially, it was not fun. Eventually, I got to a point past the physical limitations so there was no pain/stress. Where I felt I could run pretty much forever. Took a while to get there. A place where "you" are not consciously running. You are just observing your body run. It all became an automatic process, like driving. You travel from A to B without any conscious choice. At that point, my mind was free to enjoy whatever. The scenery, the music. I was just along for the ride while my body did all of the work.

The struggle is really in just getting to that point.

 

[sun rise]

Not ugly in the beauty/ugly sense. More in the sense of feeling sick, irritable, and hating life. Dark.

That's clarifying.

If I were you, I'd want to know what it was about exercise that caused you to hate life. That's a strong reaction, much stronger than I would expect because it goes beyond the typical not finding joy in exercising which a multitude of people have.

 

[Secret Chief]

OK, I know a LOT of people feel energized by exercise. They feel better afterwards and it makes the rest of their day easier to get through.

I have *never* felt that. Usually, when I exercise, I just feel tired afterwards. if I am lucky, I can rebound a bit and manage to get through the rest of my day. If I am not lucky, I feel down, sore, cranky, and unable to think until I sleep.

I have tried eating protein, drinking juice, etc and NOTHING seems to help. I have never come anywhere close to a 'runner's high' or even feeling better after a workout than I did before.

I have also never found an exercise that I like for its own sake. I can *tolerate* hiking and bike riding because of the change of scenery, but the exercise itself just sucks. I have tried a variety of different types of exercise: from swimming (I sink and don't like the feeling) to working out in a gym (creeps me out, frankly), to having a personal trainer (I get through the workout, but feel crappy), etc.

I know exercise is 'good for you' which is why I do it at all. But it is hard to keep motivated when there seems to be no real payoff. I don't really care about weight loss per se (I care more about clothes fitting and having some endurance) and the changes, even over the course of a month just don't seem to be worth the misery.

Anyone else have this issue?

Any recommendations?

Perhaps you're doing too much / too soon, if you are feeling whacked afterwards. A little and quite frequently is the way to go. Frequent is as important. If you just do something once a week, you'll stay in the whacked-out rut. Ideally, x3 per week, imo.

Also, you need to find something you would (theoretically in the first instance!) enjoy (too strong a word?).

(for the record, I'm a distance running addict since childhood, now aged 60).

 

[Polymath257]

I've never heard of that before. With a personal trainer I would hope over doing ot isnt the reason (as that will cause what you describe), asides from something like that (too hard/not hard enough -but a personal trainer should have had you at the right point and on an adequate regiment, amd assuming you stuck with it long enough), I really dont know. Neurological maybe.

Personal trainers have been a mixed bag. One pushed me into an asthma attack. The others have made sure I didn't go quite that far, but I never felt like I was looking forward to the experience (even after months).

Another discouragement is injuries. I blew out my ankle from a bike ride a couple of weeks ago. I had a shoulder injury from a training session and knee issues as well. That *really* is discouraging: I know that injuries are not what should be happening.

 

[Polymath257]

That's clarifying.

If I were you, I'd want to know what it was about exercise that caused you to hate life. That's a strong reaction, much stronger than I would expect because it goes beyond the typical not finding joy in exercising which a multitude of people have.

Well, when I was young I could not run more than about half a block without getting an asthma attack. Gym class had us run around a big field, and invariably I had to cut it short because I couldn't breathe.

 

[QuestioningMind]

OK, I know a LOT of people feel energized by exercise. They feel better afterwards and it makes the rest of their day easier to get through.

I have *never* felt that. Usually, when I exercise, I just feel tired afterwards. if I am lucky, I can rebound a bit and manage to get through the rest of my day. If I am not lucky, I feel down, sore, cranky, and unable to think until I sleep.

I have tried eating protein, drinking juice, etc and NOTHING seems to help. I have never come anywhere close to a 'runner's high' or even feeling better after a workout than I did before.

I have also never found an exercise that I like for its own sake. I can *tolerate* hiking and bike riding because of the change of scenery, but the exercise itself just sucks. I have tried a variety of different types of exercise: from swimming (I sink and don't like the feeling) to working out in a gym (creeps me out, frankly), to having a personal trainer (I get through the workout, but feel crappy), etc.

I know exercise is 'good for you' which is why I do it at all. But it is hard to keep motivated when there seems to be no real payoff. I don't really care about weight loss per se (I care more about clothes fitting and having some endurance) and the changes, even over the course of a month just don't seem to be worth the misery.

Anyone else have this issue?

Any recommendations?

How long do you stick with it? I've found that if I haven't exercised in a long time that I will feel exhausted and tired for the first week or so. But once it becomes a regular routine, I can see the benefits. It's not so much that I feel so much better right after I exercise, but that regular exercise makes me feel happier and more energetic in general.