3 ms·

How many sports must one try before being allowed to conclude that "a sport you enjoy" isn't in the cards?

• Swizec 11y ago
  As many as it takes? I don't know ... Really that's what P.E. is for, they were supposed to have exposed you to many sports so that you could find one you like. I found boxing because I watched a few boxing movies. Then I decided to try and I liked it. Now here we are 6 odd years later and I'm training four times a week. Still no fights though, probably getting into that next year. Surely you have some gut feeling about what you might enjoy? How do you find movies or tv shows that you enjoy watching? Or websites you enjoy visiting? How many tries did it take? How many tries did it take to find friends you enjoy hanging out with? These aren't some deep dark secrets of life. It's just normal everyday stuff. Don't overthink it.
  • 0xcde4c3db 11y ago
    P.E. did expose me to many sports. I didn't really like any of them; some were more tolerable than others, but that's hardly equivalent to enjoyment. I don't dislike physical activity in itself (though it was practically impossible to maintain any consistent volume before my sleep apnea was treated), and I think I understand at an intellectual level why "people enjoy sports". But empirically the reward processes haven't happened for me. Anyway, the reason I'm harping on this is that vague, noncommittal advice like "find a sport you enjoy" is exactly the sort of thing that a true exercise prescription ought to be able to avoid. Doctors don't pull out the Rx pad and write down "find an anticonvulsant that works for you".
• eru 11y ago
  In that case, just bite the bullet and pick the sport you hate least. If you want to minimize the commitment: weightlifting is pretty efficient time-wise and effective.