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I have to agree here about motivation being an important factor. When I injured myself running, I tried experimenting with a few other types of cardio (cycling,

I have to agree here about motivation being an important factor. When I injured myself running, I tried experimenting with a few other types of cardio (cycling, swimming, rowing, stairmaster, etc.) but they were all miserable experiences compared to running. It was beyond frustrating and the only thing that kept me going was the anticipation of running again. On the opposite end of the spectrum, several of my coworkers lift weights exclusively and can't believe I prefer running. It bores them out of their minds. I have to wonder if many people don't exercise because they find it boring and unsatisfying, not because it's difficult.

beachstartup 10y ago
exercise has always felt like work to me. all types of exercise, too -- you name it, i've tried it, often for months at a time on a rigorous schedule. i simply do not like doing it. i don't like the time it takes, i don't like dealing with the laundry, i don't like the equipment, i don't like the monotony of cardio, i don't like the sound of weights slamming, i don't like dealing with the other people at the gym/courts/whatever, i don't like any of it (i'm not lucky enough to have have my own gym, that would probably help quite a bit). high intensity interval sprinting is the only thing i don't massively despise, but it's still a pain in the ass and can produce injuries, which i also don't like. don't even get me started on swimming... so as you can see, i've done plenty of exercise in my life, and at this point i'm 100% comfortable saying that i just don't like doing it. i admit it is a major personality shortcoming of mine. i'm not a negative person, this kind of stuff doesn't leak into areas of my life -- i just wasn't born with that selection of genetics that drives me to love this stuff. to me it's basically like a second job, a manual labor job, i have to do. yes, i feel good afterwards, but to me sitting my ass down on the couch also feels good. as i understand it, to some people, sitting down for an hour feels disgusting, like a physical revulsion in their body. they're very lucky. i could sit on my couch for days on end and it takes effort to not actually do that. my desire to make money, be presentable, and contribute to society override my natural laziness, but i totally understand how those people get to 800 pounds and are couch-locked. they simply do not have any kind of social drive, which is the built-in mechanism that is supposed to balance your built-in human condition of laziness (in my case). be thankful that you take to running/exercise like we take to computers/technology -- it's definitely an asset in life. it's something i have to constantly overcome, i'm envious of people who get the urge to get up and move around without any kind of outside motivation. i've spent a lot of money on extrinsic motivation and it's clearly the inferior choice!
- cosmie 10y ago
  This pretty much describes my experience with exercise as well. What worked for me was to stop associating exercise with working out. Instead, I just started seeking out more physically demanding hobbies/activities. I enjoy yard work; when I had a yard, I spent a lot of time creating a garden and pathways and trimming trees and whatnot. In an apartment now, but still help friends out with that because I genuinely enjoy it. I also like woodwork and building things, but again apartment. So I volunteer for Habitat for Humanity frequently. I also frequently rearrange parts of my apartment when I get bored. I can't stand the gym - to me it feels like wasting time because I don't independently enjoy the activities the gym offers. Or running, or cycling. But I enjoy what I mentioned above, so the "exercise" stemming from them are ancillary benefits rather than the primary purpose.

beachstartup 10y ago

exercise has always felt like work to me. all types of exercise, too -- you name it, i've tried it, often for months at a time on a rigorous schedule. i simply do not like doing it. i don't like the time it takes, i don't like dealing with the laundry, i don't like the equipment, i don't like the monotony of cardio, i don't like the sound of weights slamming, i don't like dealing with the other people at the gym/courts/whatever, i don't like any of it (i'm not lucky enough to have have my own gym, that would probably help quite a bit). high intensity interval sprinting is the only thing i don't massively despise, but it's still a pain in the ass and can produce injuries, which i also don't like. don't even get me started on swimming... so as you can see, i've done plenty of exercise in my life, and at this point i'm 100% comfortable saying that i just don't like doing it. i admit it is a major personality shortcoming of mine. i'm not a negative person, this kind of stuff doesn't leak into areas of my life -- i just wasn't born with that selection of genetics that drives me to love this stuff. to me it's basically like a second job, a manual labor job, i have to do. yes, i feel good afterwards, but to me sitting my ass down on the couch also feels good. as i understand it, to some people, sitting down for an hour feels disgusting, like a physical revulsion in their body. they're very lucky. i could sit on my couch for days on end and it takes effort to not actually do that. my desire to make money, be presentable, and contribute to society override my natural laziness, but i totally understand how those people get to 800 pounds and are couch-locked. they simply do not have any kind of social drive, which is the built-in mechanism that is supposed to balance your built-in human condition of laziness (in my case). be thankful that you take to running/exercise like we take to computers/technology -- it's definitely an asset in life. it's something i have to constantly overcome, i'm envious of people who get the urge to get up and move around without any kind of outside motivation. i've spent a lot of money on extrinsic motivation and it's clearly the inferior choice!

cosmie 10y ago
This pretty much describes my experience with exercise as well. What worked for me was to stop associating exercise with working out. Instead, I just started seeking out more physically demanding hobbies/activities. I enjoy yard work; when I had a yard, I spent a lot of time creating a garden and pathways and trimming trees and whatnot. In an apartment now, but still help friends out with that because I genuinely enjoy it. I also like woodwork and building things, but again apartment. So I volunteer for Habitat for Humanity frequently. I also frequently rearrange parts of my apartment when I get bored. I can't stand the gym - to me it feels like wasting time because I don't independently enjoy the activities the gym offers. Or running, or cycling. But I enjoy what I mentioned above, so the "exercise" stemming from them are ancillary benefits rather than the primary purpose.