Exercising - I just don't WANT to!! (vent)

[PeacefulChaos]

Sigh.

I know I'll feel good if I exercise. I know that I'll be happy I did.

But that just isn't enough motivation for me. I don't care if it makes me look better, I don't care if it makes me feel better. I look fine and I feel fine.

I was thinking to myself that I should set a goal to exercise more in 2012. But then I thought, what's the point of setting a goal that I won't actually reach? I've tried before, and I always find excuses (reasons :lol: ) NOT to exercise.

DH says get up in the morning and exercise. I say I HATE getting up early. To get up early enough to, say, go for a run would mean getting up and out the door at 6:30. :svengo: I usually DRAG myself out of bed at 8. At the earliest. Exercising at 8 would be pointless. I couldn't go for a run or a walk because I'd have the kids. Even walking with the kids is NOT exercise. Plus I have homeschooling to get done - if we went for a walk at 8, we wouldn't actually leave til more like 8:30 by the time everyone had breakfast (kids), so then we wouldn't get home til 9/9:30, and I'd have to take a shower, and by the time we were actually getting to work it would be 10-10:30. Not a good idea. I hate exercise videos, plus if I were doing one in the morning the kids would come out and have to see what I was doing. So then I may as well not do it.

A Zumba class started at church. I thought, hey, I'll do Zumba! I went once. It's at 4pm, so I have to take the kids and pay $1 each for childcare + $5 for the class. Not that it isn't reasonable-ish, just that $16/week could be better spent elsewhere. She teaches classes on some evenings, when I wouldn't have to take the kids, but none of them work for me - she does Mondays and Wednesdays (not at the church) at 7:30, but I go grocery shopping on Monday nights and I have church on Wednesday nights, so I can't do those. I loved the class, but the cost factor had me lose interest.

So I thought, hey, I'll just go for a run AFTER DH gets home from work. Week 1: Monday: it rained. Tuesday: it rained. Wednesday: DH didn't get home til 5 and we had church at 7. Not enough time in there to go for a run, take a shower, make dinner, and leave the house by 6:15. Thursday: I had choir practice at 7 and had already put on my makeup that morning because we went somewhere. Didn't feel like redoing everything. Friday: DH got home at 5 and there just wasn't time. Week 2: Monday: went for a run for the first time in years. Tuesday: DH had a meeting at 6. No time. Wednesday: raining again. Thursday: was busy packing to leave for the weekend. Friday: on the road.

It just seems like a pointless endeavor. I know people say that if it's important to you, you'll make time. I guess it just isn't important to me.

[regentrude]

Maybe it would help if you stopped to think of "exercising" as running, going to the gym, etc, and simply thought about incorporating physical activity into your daily life?

I HATE "exercising". I hate to run, you could not drag me to a gym. BUT: DH and I walk in the evening on most days. We hike as a family every weekend. We bike. We canoe. We rock climb. All much more enjoyable than a class, a machine in a gym, or running.

There are plenty more things: incorporating walking and biking as modes of transportation. Walking around the park while the kids play. Dancing. Gardening. Farm work.

[gardenmom5]

Sigh.

I know I'll feel good if I exercise. I know that I'll be happy I did.

But that just isn't enough motivation for me. I don't care if it makes me look better, I don't care if it makes me feel better. I look fine and I feel fine.

I was thinking to myself that I should set a goal to exercise more in 2012. But then I thought, what's the point of setting a goal that I won't actually reach? .

 

 

find something YOU like. there are many things out there, and it's okay to not like every single thing. It also sounds like you are setting a huge and unrealistic goal for yourself. babysteps.

 

try a quick walk up and down your street once a day (or even once a week as a start). that's five minutes, and doesn't require a shower when you're done. (and doing it four X's a day at five minute increments - and you can race your kids - is a 20 minute workout.)

 

set small goals - just one week at a time. just do "something" one day a week. and go from there.:grouphug:

[Scarlett]

Maybe it would help if you stopped to think of "exercising" as running, going to the gym, etc, and simply thought about incorporating physical activity into your daily life?

I HATE "exercising". I hate to run, you could not drag me to a gym. BUT: DH and I walk in the evening on most days. We hike as a family every weekend. We bike. We canoe. We rock climb. All much more enjoyable than a class, a machine in a gym, or running.

There are plenty more things: incorporating walking and biking as modes of transportation. Walking around the park while the kids play. Dancing. Gardening. Farm work.

 

I agree with above. But I totally get what Peace is saying....I need to get back to exercising and I can. not. find the motivation.

 

Ugh.

[houseofkids&pets]

I feel your pain. My dd11 received wii Just Dance 3 for Christmas. I seriously was exhausted after 2 songs. Yikes!!

[Jean in Newcastle]

I'm going to sound like an advertisement but I hated to exercise until I found Zumba. I go to our local Y and for the price of membership, get free Zumba classes. It is so much fun!

[PeacefulChaos]

I'm going to sound like an advertisement but I hated to exercise until I found Zumba. I go to our local Y and for the price of membership, get free Zumba classes. It is so much fun!

 

I really did like Zumba! I just felt like none of the times were a good fit + I don't like the idea of paying for it. I know that's life. ;) Our local Y is something like $50-$55 a month. We used to be members but when DD was a baby it was really hard to find a time to go on a regular basis, with nap/feeding schedules and two boys in schools (oldest was in K at public school and 2nd was in pre-k two mornings a week at a private school) so I cancelled it. Now I just can't see justifying that much money (the price has gone up in the past 2 years).

 

Along the line of what the PP said, today we walked to the library. It wasn't a long walk, and the library ended up being closed (they didn't put it on their website OR on their voice mail, and I couldn't judge by the fact that no one answered bc no one EVER answers! :lol: ) but it was nice to walk down there. Esp. since I could just leave DD at home with DH.

[pageta]

I feel your pain. I am one who also hates exercise and has struggled with it for years. In fact, the only time I liked it was when I was pregnant and wasn't "allowed" to do any of the stuff like running or other things I felt guilty for not wanting to do. I just walked for an hour every day.

 

And quite honestly, that is what I do now. We live in a small town. My two older children ride their bikes, and the toddler rides in the stroller. I've done this with both older children in the stroller, one older child on the bike and one in the stroller, then one older one on the bike and two in the stroller. They ride their bikes ahead of me and wait at each corner (no more than a block away from me at any time). And I keep walking with the stroller.

 

When I first started out, I did about 5000 steps in an hour. Now I do over 8000. I lost weight and feel and look much better. It's good for the kids to get out and ride their bikes and be outdoors. My oldest was best at bicycle riding when they did that as an evening theme for Cub Scouts - he has a lot of experience!

 

My kids can sometimes drive me crazy, but when we walk, they know the rules and it is an hour where they generally do not pester or annoy me. I listen to audiobooks while I walk. On the weekend, I get to go by myself because dh is home. In fact, we have a trail about ten miles from our house that I love to hike by myself. There are lots of other people out there with me so it is safe.

 

So my recommendation is to take the kids with you. For us, it is "health class" or PE or whatever. It totally helps me keep my sanity and I get all those other benefits as well. So consider how that might work for you.

[JFSinIL]

I am using the wii, and soon we will have a (used) kinect. I shut the pocket doors and hide in the living room and do a solid hour of boxercising, etc. with varied wii games, plus free weights every other day. I tell myself it is MY time for ME to do something for ME. ;) Since I need to loose pounds and pounds (down over 30 now since late August - another 30 to go!) I am motivated.

[HappyCrazyMama]

Exercising is good for your health, it is a good thing.

 

 

 

 

But it is okay to choose not to do it. :leaving:

[Mergath]

Instead of trying to find a time when you don't have to watch your kids, could you try including them? I know you said you hate exercise videos, but there are some dance videos that are insanely fun, and are a great workout. Dd LOVES doing them with me. Yoga, too. She's like a tiny little yogi. She spent half of Thanksgiving teaching my twenty-something stepsister to do the sun salutation, lol.

 

If you find something you and the kids enjoy, it's win-win.

[Dustybug]

I feel ya.

 

I never did much exercising, just regular physical type activity when I was younger and I could eat whatever I wanted and not really gain a pound...genetics, I suppose.

 

My first two pregnancies, the baby weight poured off while I was breastfeeding, so didn't really worry about it then

 

After the third baby, not so much. I'm nearing 30, my metabolism is shot and I've developed quite the penchant for soda and all things chocolate. :glare: I feel like poo on a stick and just cannot find the motivation to get a move on it. I detest exercising in front of anyone, and my nearly 18 month old still wakes MANY times a night, so I'm sleep deprived. Getting up earlier just does not work for me right now. We don't have a wii or anything like that to do stuff with. No extra money to take classes. I could do a video, but there are always kids under my feet and our house is tiny and I don't have a lot of space. There is no where to run here unless I run on the actual road, and that just doesn't seem safe to me with the crazy drivers around here.

 

I want to lose about 7-10lbs this next year and tone up all the jiggle, but I have to FIRST find the desire to get up and do it. *sigh*

[DianeW88]

My favorite quote for motivating me to exercise:

 

"Those who cannot manage to find the time or motivation to exercise had better be able to find the time for disease and disabililty."

 

It keeps me moving!! :D

[MrsH]

Are you looking for motivation or ways to get started? Or are you looking for affirmation to not make it a goal for 2012?

 

If the latter: it's OK to not make it a goal for 2012! If you really can't wrap your brain around it right now, then don't say that you'll do it. Living with integrity is about doing what we say, right? Perhaps there's another related or unrelated goal that's a better match for where you're at right now. Perhaps there's somewhere else entirely that you want to focus this year. Perhaps you want to focus on something related: going camping in the summer, or spending more times outdoors, or finding a time each day that's for you to do with as you please. Perhaps it's trying out 4 new sports/active things. Perhaps it's none of those. Set a goal or intention that makes sense for you, not the one that everyone else is also setting.

 

Good luck!

[LG Gone Wild]

I like cute clothes. I really don't care about being healthy although it is a nice benefit. :)

[Carol in Cal.]

What are all the factors that would make you actually do it? What other ones would make you hate it? What would be the best way to avoid the latter and get the former going?

 

For me, I don't like accountability. I don't like people watching me flounder. I don't want friends to life weights with. I don't want to have to be totally presentable. I hate having to take two baths on the same day just because I worked out. And I like a morning bath.

 

So, for me, walking or jogging in my neighborhood plus using an exercise bike and hand weights at home have worked out better than any other plan. I do this when I get up, after breakfast, before my bath, or I pretty much don't do it at all. I also prefer to exercise in fresh air, and in a cool setting, so running outside is better than an aerobic class usually. I like hiking, but not enough to go do it each and every week. However, I have hiking poles and waterproof hiking boots and a really good daypack, so when I do get such an opportunity I can easily jump on it.

 

Figure out what YOUR barriers are, and get rid of them. Then give yourself permission to start slow--maybe two days per week for half an hour.

[lovemykids]

I like cute clothes. I really don't care about being healthy although it is a nice benefit. :)

 

Very honest, but too funny! :lol::lol:

 

 

As for the OP, if you just do something...anything you might like to do...it gets easier from there. Don't overthink it, just get active!

[myfunnybunch]

I could have written your post. Well, to be honest, I almost still could. I hate to exercise.

 

But I started forcing myself to drag my rear end out of bed early and drag myself to the gym or out to run for at least 30 minutes. The past week or so has been so holiday busy that I haven't had time, or I've let "I hate to exercise" win, and I kind of miss it. I don't miss the getting up. (At all.) I don't miss the exercise one little bit. But I miss feeling more focused, sleeping better, and I just plain feel good afterward.

 

Here's what keeps me going: Reading over and over that the best predictor for good mental health and clarity in old age is regular exercise now. I could not care less what my body looks like. (Ok, I care a little, but not enough to drag myself out of bed at early-thirty.) I DO very much care about being mentally sharp when I am old. So every single stinkin' morning I grumble when the alarm goes off, think of twenty excuses not to get out of bed, then I get up anyway.

 

We also try to incorporate fun exercise into our week. We go swimming, ice skating, hiking, walking, ride bikes as a family. It helps to get everyone out and in the habit of being active. :) But I see that as a bonus.

 

Cat

[black_midori]

The best exercise regime I've been on (and the only one I've followed through with - at least for a time!!) was the Wii Fit Plus for the Wii that we got a couple years ago. I did AWESOME!!! I only did it for 30 mins to 1 hour a day, 3-4 days a week, but it was downright fun (enjoyable games, nice for "alone time" even while the kids were home because I would hide in the bedroom with the wii and let them just watch a show or play in the living room).

 

I did that for about 6 mo - 1 yr, then I ended up getting all blah again... and now it is a year later... :)

 

So - this Christmas we got the EA Sports Active for wii and Dance Dance Revolution. I started my new workout this week, and I am SO HAPPY that I did!!! It is a rougher workout, but I also need it more...

 

I hope that I can transition that workout into a more active lifestyle for myself and my family (dh is doing the same wii exercise routine almost). I plan to talk to him about incorporating a weekly family "exercise" type activity after reading above posts!! :)

[KungFuPanda]

If you hate spending money on exercise, that COULD become your motivation. Pay for a class in advance. You'll make sure you attend so that your money isn't lost! Try to think of what happens to your household if your health, or even energy level declines. It's worth protecting! It's worth shifting your schedule too. Grocery shop on a different day or move something around. Pretend it's something a child wants to do and I'm sure you could get that schedule juggled.

 

What do you like to do? I was never good at exercising on my own. I hated running, never used the treadmill, and never did fitness tapes more than once. I just don't exercise without witnesses! I HAD to have regular classes or it never happened. I do, however, LOVE to dance. A dance class is FUN for me. It's doing somehing l like and the exercise is happy consequence. It would be nice if what I really loved was heavy housework, but that's not the case. The dance classes have been consistent for almost a decade now. It's good for me and I usually dance 5-10 hours depending upon the week.

 

Now, I highly recommend a bellydancing class. It's good for your body and your self-confidence. It'll work all of the same core muscles as pilates, but it's loads more fun and gentler at the beginning. That's just me though, what do YOU like????

 

P.S. Don't be afraid to experiment. I tried adult beginning ballet and yoga before I found bellydance. They were both good for me and my time was not wasted. Your passion could turn out to be kayaking, or gardening, or Volksmarching.

Edited January 1, 2012 by KungFuPanda

[cougarmom4]

I'm not an exercise lover either.

What helps me is having a friend to walk with. We go at 6:45 am, and it's hard to get up...especially with winter...but I love having 45 minutes of uninterrupted adult conversation! And I do find that on days when we don't go, I miss it!

 

I also saw this idea on pinterest...pay yourself a dollar every time you exercise...keep it in a jar. When you save a certain amount you get to go shopping for a new outfit or new book or whatever it is that you would like. That sounds motivating to me!

 

Good luck...

[PinkInTheBlue]

I like cute clothes. I really don't care about being healthy although it is a nice benefit. :)

 

LOL!!! I completely agree. It's why I watch what I eat and keep an eye on my weight. :) It saves money because I don't have to buy new clothes and I enjoy what I own. My motivation is to keep the great clothes I have.

 

Hey, whatever the motivation is doesn't matter; as long as it works! :lol:

[kristinannie]

I have started being more active when the kids play outside. I used to sit and read a book and watch them (until my toddler started walking really well). Now we chase each other, play follow the leader (hopping, skipping, walking backwards, etc). It is decent exercise (better than nothing) and lots of fun!

[Cindyg]

You can make a difference with two minutes a day.

 

http://www.welltrainedmind.com/forums/showthread.php?t=332226

[LisaKinVA]

FWIW, I just freecylcled my elliptical that has been acting as a coat rack, dust catcher for the past 10 years. But, I do have the 30-day shred, Slim in 6, and a membership at the Y.

 

At the Y, I can put the ones who aren't in swimming yet into the kid-zone or the nursery. I'm either in the lap pool or doing weights/running/walking in the gym 3 nights a week. Now, if I could just find my MP3 player :glare:

 

My husband is going to start going in a couple of weeks 3 nights a week (we have two kids in swimming one starts at 4:30 and ends at 6:15, the other starts at 5:45 and finishes at 7. I only get 2 hours of "sitting" time... so dh is going to go to the Y at 6, and take the 2nd swimmer home... and that means I get to be home with the youngest ones by 6:45, and they can be fed and gotten ready for bed at a decent hour :D

[Mommyfaithe]

Housework and yard work/gardening are great exercise. I think of all those things as a workout and make sure my movements are full, focused and working my muscles. It is also nice to have a walking buddy, someone to chat with and get some fresh air and sunshine. If you hate to exercise...fine....just make whatever you do...into a workout.

 

Faithe

[Tarreymere]

I really lost the habit of regular exercise over the last ten years or so. I don't leave the house much and I didn't much like taking the time to go to the gym. I have a bike I ride in the nicer weather but that has gotten harder as I have gotten more and more out of shape. I used to run, but now even getting out of the house to go for a walk is just not happening.

 

But, very recently I've fallen in love with my wii and that Gold's Gym Dance Workout. I love to dance, and the little games on it are fun and get me moving. I put it on when the kids are doing independent work and tell them that if I am done with my workout before they are done with their work I am going to dance in front of their friends the next time they come over. :D So far I haven't had to, but the 12 year old did tape me on her Ipod so I am hoping I don't end up on you tube (believe me, it is pretty hilarious).