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> "I think really very few people truly enjoy exercise for its own sake" I don't know how true this is. When folks talk about things like a "runners high", an

> "I think really very few people truly enjoy exercise for its own sake" I don't know how true this is. When folks talk about things like a "runners high", an activity that even at my most fit was abject misery, I have to wonder just how differently we're experiencing these things. When I was lifting heavy, I also suffered from some pretty serious delayed onset muscle soreness. I know for a fact folks have varied experiences and tolerances for that. Some people's muscles recover much more quickly from heavy exercise, reducing the overall unpleasantness associated with exercise. With all of the variables and testimony from folks I've worked out with, I have to assume a decent amount of people who exercise regularly actually enjoy the exercise itself. For me it never became more than a means to an end. It's something I know is good for mind and body, but my mind and body consistently rebel against it.

smeej 3y ago
Thank you for this. It helped bring something into focus in my mind that I'd been struggling with. I keep kicking myself for not being more willing to exercise, but I've also recently discovered that my body severely overreacts to stress, even what should be eu-stress, not dis-stress. For example, massage therapy aggravates my muscles and leaves my body more tense and less resilient. I finally started making progress on healing some physical anomalies only after I stopped the recommended massage therapy. It's made me realize maybe I'll have better luck with "strolling" than "going for a walk," or making up interpretive dances to smooth music than "dancing" to up-tempo beats. Perhaps I just need much more movement, but a lot less intensity than most people.