Exercise makes me miserable

The key to enjoying " exercise" is to find something that you love and look forward to doing! Otherwise it's easy to stop.

In April '25, I took a hard look at myself in the mirror, and decided enough was enough. I had let the weight creep on, was size 18/20 ( far too much for my 5' 6" frame ), and had no energy. Time to do something about it - for me, not to please anyone else.

First I sorted out my eating habits. Already vegetarian for many years, I cut out all snacks, ate low carb ( not easy for a veggie! ), and started intermittent fasting. I only eat between 12 noon and 6pm. Nothing after 6, only black coffee.

In August, after the weight stated coming off, I had to find some sort of exercise. The gym bored me rigid, but I remembered I loved the dance classes there, so that was my plan. I discovered the world of Line Dancing! Now I know it's not for everyone, but the principle is the same - find something that you love to do.

I found a wonderful local class, with a qualified teacher. She is amazing and so encouraging. I now go 3 times a week, and have moved from the beginners to the improvers classes. It it such good fun and great "exercise". I've made new friends, not always the easiest thing to do aged 69!

I also practice at home, so I'm dancing every day!

The biggest bonus is it encourages me to keep on track with my weight loss. I've gone from a size 18/20 down to a 12, and have a whole new wardrobe to go with it. I still have a way to go, but I won't go back to my old ways.

Don't get me wrong, I think loosing weight and keeping it off is one of the hardest things to do. I've struggled all my life with the problem, and never found the answer, but I think this is it.

So find something that you love to do, something that makes you smile, something that makes you want to keep going. It's worth it, trust me. It doesn't have to be line dancing ( although I love my cowboy boots and hats! ), but find something!

Good luck everyone! Yee-haa! xxx

Makes me miserable too apart from walking . I always enjoyed exercise, use to run 3c x times a week, played bowls walked ..fast...where ever I went, swam and cycled. Now I hate doing it. I go to 2 seated exercise classes every week and quite like that but know its not enough.
Trouble is i have developed a ' belly' and hate that even more. If anyone knows how to develop a taste for exercise again
Please let us all know!!!

I started going to the gym by listening to music on earphones. My husband is my gym buddy, without him I would probably miss more. After a few years, it has become more enjoyable, not least due to the music, random social hellos, and the surge of endorphins I do now get afterwards, which help to improve my mood. Try to find a pair of ear phones, music, your favourite tracks, and give it a few months. Gym buddy helps if you can find one. I recently was "assessed" after being told i was walking backwards on the cross trainer. Hahaha, I had been doing that, and other things incorrectly, but had kept fit, and was unscathed. I just forget instructions, and tend to under exert, after a while, (btw the PE teacher always made fun of me.) If you really hate it, try to find something else that is active that you really enjoy. For me, I finally discovered hockey, tennis and badminton at school. Not all sports suit us. Play to your strengths. Don't forget the music too. Good luck!

Lathyrus3

The dea of “exercise” as a separate thing to everyday life only really emerged when life became more automated. Before that people got plenty of exercise just living.

So I do pretty much the same as lixy really.

Physio for injuries is a bit different though. It’s very hard to push through the boredom but I try.

This. I can't remember my mum ever mentioning 'exercising.' Gyms didn't exist in those days, and no-one just 'went for a walk' without an object.

However, there were fewer labour saving devices, and many women walked to the shops every day.

I was nearly 14 stone 9 years ago, I was visiting the pub too much and getting lazy. Then I decided near my 50th birthday, this wasn't good enough. Cut down on the booze and started walking 20 miles a week. In six months, I'd lost nearly 3 stone and felt a lot better for it. Still have very long walks, particularly in summer, and stay in the 11-12 stone tange.
Another big achievement for me was stopping smoking after 35 years. I found I became less prone to getting colds, felt healthier and could do more exercise. Also I've managed to save thousands of pounds.

My friend is a care worker and when I hear about some of her clients I realise how lucky I am to be 75 and fit and healthy.
I live alone with no family in England and make my mental health and physical health a priority. I love my morning dog walk ,an hour or two in the woods meeting other dog walkers is guarenteed to make me feel good even if its cold and wet but the afternoon swim and gym is not always so appealing but it is a necessary evil .As we get older we need to exercise if we want to get the most out of life.

During lockdowns I did Qigong, following an older woman exercising in a park.

I wish I could remember her name.

Cumbrianmale56

Exercise is what you make it. It's not at all gyms and park runs. I suppose one way to exercise at home would be to buy a yoga DVD or see if Yotube has some kind of exercise program.

For the last couple of years I’ve done my own workout when I get up in the morning. Only takes about 15 mins. I do some yoga stretches from when I used to go to a class. I do some balancing exercises and I do some light weights.

Exercise is what you make it. It's not at all gyms and park runs. I suppose one way to exercise at home would be to buy a yoga DVD or see if Yotube has some kind of exercise program.

I can't bear gyms. I take my husband to the gym for Stroke exercises and just going in there depresses me. The air con makes it uncomfortably cold and just the thought of repeating exercises over and over again bores me.

I go off and have a swim, walk in the water and go in the jacuzzi and sauna.

I was very into sports at school. Mainly hockey (played at county level) and swimming. Played hockey until I had kids. Enjoyed tennis but not so much athletics or cross country, although I did participate. As an adult I played tennis and
Badminton and did a lot of cycling.

I’ve never been to classes at my gym, just use the equipment. Then have a sauna and chat to people there. Haven’t been since the pandemic, though, but want to start going again. My mobility problem makes me very miserable; I want to go out of my front door again and just walk like I used to. I know I can still use the equipment at the gym, though.

I hate all gym stuff and exercise groups and you are not alone Cabbie judging by the answers I have tried various classes over the years but disliked them all equally.
I walk everywhere as I don’t drive but I find walking boring unless it’s to somewhere special or in a wood or something
I work about 24 hours a week which involves being on my feet all the time and lifting a lot and walking backwards and forwards.
I swim in the sea but I m not a good swimmer if it’s rough, but just plodding around walking or jogging through the water especially against the current is good.
I do a lot of digging and weeding etc etc on the allotment and have stairs at home
At 81 I can still balance on one leg, I can still touch my toes with straight legs, I still sit cross legged on the floor I don’t like chairs ( unless I have company or go to anyone’s ) so as far as I m concerned that’s all fine, Gyms don’t do it for me at all

I did use to love Shipwreck Pirates at school though theweirdoagain.
I wasn’t the last to be picked for teams at school, but I was towards the end, what an utterly humiliating process that was whoever thought that one up.

Don't you like any physical activity? Even getting out of bed or a chair?

I've only been to a gym once and that was to use the vending machine. I can't stand physical activity and don't think your weird at all.

Cumbrianmale56

Basgetti

No, you’re not weird. I can’t cope with classes or gyms.
Have you tried walking, outside? Does it for me.

I don't have the clothes for a gym, tried it when I was younger and found it boring, and never went back. It's the same with going to a class run by a fitness coach, I'd find it too much like a school PE class and would feel out of place with much younger people.
Walking several miles does it for me as I don't need to buy specialist clothing. I once managed to do what was quite a gruelling walk by walking from Newcastle Quayside to Gosforth and back.

Clothes for the gym needn't be expensive - shorts and T shirt, which could be worn in the garden anyway.

You might be surprised about the people who go to classes. Choose daytime classes and you'll find most of the people are "mature" and all shapes and sizes. I used to think they'd be full of lycra clad Californian babes, but it's not like that at all. Most of the people in the classes I attend are female, but there are some men who turn up regularly and they seem to enjoy themselves. It's all very supportive. If you decide on classes, speak to the centre staff about which ones are the gentlest.

The problem with many people and exercise is the rigid form of PE and forced participation in school games that was common until the late eighties. This put many people off physical exercise when they left school, as they thought being hopeless at school PE meant they were useless at other forms of exercise Also many PE teachers weren't exactly encouraging to unathletic pupils and belittled and bullied them. ( I can think of one I had for 2 years like this).
Yes I was happy to sling my PE kit in the bin when I was 16 and couldn't give a damn about team sports, still don't. What I did realise when I got older was there was so many other forms of pleasurable exercise you could do with friends or on your own. When I was 24, a group of us drove to Wasdale Head and decided to walk Scafell for the day. Thirsty work when it was 84 degrees, but the sense of achievement when you reached the summit and saw Blackpool Tower was amazing.

I have fought hard to retain/regain my mobility. For me it really is a case of ‘use it or lose it’. I walk for about an hour twice a day, accompanied by my beloved, and if can’t get out for any reason I get cabin fever.

Basgetti

No, you’re not weird. I can’t cope with classes or gyms.
Have you tried walking, outside? Does it for me.

I don't have the clothes for a gym, tried it when I was younger and found it boring, and never went back. It's the same with going to a class run by a fitness coach, I'd find it too much like a school PE class and would feel out of place with much younger people.
Walking several miles does it for me as I don't need to buy specialist clothing. I once managed to do what was quite a gruelling walk by walking from Newcastle Quayside to Gosforth and back.

No, you’re not weird. I can’t cope with classes or gyms.
Have you tried walking, outside? Does it for me.

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Well the series has now finished. I have to admit that, whilst I did not enjoy it, the middle weeks were better as we had a different physio who was much more communicative. I have also found I am managing stairs much more easily. But I am not keeping up with the exercises. I know I should, but I do five minutes here and there then my mind races to something else I should be doing and I go and do it.

Depends on what you mean by exercise. I have a friend at work who is 55 and desperate to lose weight, so goes to a structured gym class with an instructor 2 hours a week and does park runs. I'd find this boring and don't have the clothes for this scene.
OTOH I can quite easily walk 8 miles a day in good weather and took this up when my weight balooned in my late 40s. In the space of a year, vigorous walking lost me over 2 stone and I kept it up since.

Don't go to the classes if they get you down. Three choirs is much better .

Yes, Pantglas2 me too, I was good at spelling (because I read so much, and better still at General knowledge.

Pantglas2

“no one wanted me in their team...” Monica

I still hear the words “it’s not fair, we had her last week!” ringing in my ears!

The same girls would be begging to have me on their Quiz teams and the Spelling Bees!

I was exactly the same.