For most of my life I always hated the idea of exercise just for the sake of exercise. I would try to find activities where exercise was an associated benefit. Hiking, skateboarding, rock climbing etc. Eventually being an adult slowly killed all of my recreational fitness outlets and I ended up teetering on the edge of overweight.
With the goal of getting back in shape, I tried a few gyms but I never got into it. It always felt like a chore.
Turns out the problem for me was that I am a cheap bastard, and I was only considering the least expensive discount shitty gyms. One of my friends convinced me to try out a pricier more fully featured gym and it made a huge difference. Well maintained equipment, group classes, child care while you work out, showers that didn’t scare me. It was a lot less intimidating, and it switched the gym experience from feeling like a chore to feeling like a break.
It’s been a couple years now, and I’ll say, having once thought I’d never be a gym person, I’m now definitely a gym person.
Not saying it’d be the same for everyone, just what ended up working for me.
I’m the same and as someone who’s worked remotely for 10 years, my life was way too sedentary. I got a dog which helped as the guilt of not walking her is plenty of motivation to get out daily, but whilst it helps, it wasn’t exactly making me fit and healthy, just a bit LESS unhealthy.
I discovered rock climbing 3 months ago though and my life is completely changed, all exercise and diet is done with my current project route in mind and after 3 months I’m already far healthier and stronger than I’ve ever been before.
Phenomenal sport, as someone who HATES the gym I really recommend everyone tries it at least once. It’s as intense as any workout and 100x more fun.
You know, an irrational fear of heights stopped me when I tried it with a friend some years back. But since getting really into hiking, and doing so on some pretty steep trails, it was pointed out to me that my fear of heights is less acute than before we started.
Awesome, if heights are still an issue you could go bouldering instead, it’s just climbing with no ropes and only up to 4ish metres off the ground (above soft mats for landing on if you fall).
It’s probably more popular than toprope (higher) climbing these days as its more accessible and can easily be done in groups of friends. Requires more strength and less endurance, but equally fun (more so for some people) as top roping.
It’s probably a very good way to get over your fear though, just having to jump from 12m with a rope does take some willpower initially but I don’t even think about it anymore.
For most of my life I always hated the idea of exercise just for the sake of exercise. I would try to find activities where exercise was an associated benefit. Hiking, skateboarding, rock climbing etc. Eventually being an adult slowly killed all of my recreational fitness outlets and I ended up teetering on the edge of overweight.
With the goal of getting back in shape, I tried a few gyms but I never got into it. It always felt like a chore.
Turns out the problem for me was that I am a cheap bastard, and I was only considering the least expensive discount shitty gyms. One of my friends convinced me to try out a pricier more fully featured gym and it made a huge difference. Well maintained equipment, group classes, child care while you work out, showers that didn’t scare me. It was a lot less intimidating, and it switched the gym experience from feeling like a chore to feeling like a break.
Not saying it’d be the same for everyone, just what ended up working for me.
The trick is to do it regularly and develop an addiction. I worked in an care home one summer and after that I promised myself to exercise until I die.
Gym exercise.
For most of my life I always hated the idea of exercise just for the sake of exercise. I would try to find activities where exercise was an associated benefit. Hiking, skateboarding, rock climbing etc. Eventually being an adult slowly killed all of my recreational fitness outlets and I ended up teetering on the edge of overweight.
With the goal of getting back in shape, I tried a few gyms but I never got into it. It always felt like a chore. Turns out the problem for me was that I am a cheap bastard, and I was only considering the least expensive discount shitty gyms. One of my friends convinced me to try out a pricier more fully featured gym and it made a huge difference. Well maintained equipment, group classes, child care while you work out, showers that didn’t scare me. It was a lot less intimidating, and it switched the gym experience from feeling like a chore to feeling like a break.
It’s been a couple years now, and I’ll say, having once thought I’d never be a gym person, I’m now definitely a gym person.
Not saying it’d be the same for everyone, just what ended up working for me.
I’m the same and as someone who’s worked remotely for 10 years, my life was way too sedentary. I got a dog which helped as the guilt of not walking her is plenty of motivation to get out daily, but whilst it helps, it wasn’t exactly making me fit and healthy, just a bit LESS unhealthy.
I discovered rock climbing 3 months ago though and my life is completely changed, all exercise and diet is done with my current project route in mind and after 3 months I’m already far healthier and stronger than I’ve ever been before.
Phenomenal sport, as someone who HATES the gym I really recommend everyone tries it at least once. It’s as intense as any workout and 100x more fun.
You know, an irrational fear of heights stopped me when I tried it with a friend some years back. But since getting really into hiking, and doing so on some pretty steep trails, it was pointed out to me that my fear of heights is less acute than before we started.
I’ll give it another shot. Maybe I can do it now.
Awesome, if heights are still an issue you could go bouldering instead, it’s just climbing with no ropes and only up to 4ish metres off the ground (above soft mats for landing on if you fall).
It’s probably more popular than toprope (higher) climbing these days as its more accessible and can easily be done in groups of friends. Requires more strength and less endurance, but equally fun (more so for some people) as top roping.
It’s probably a very good way to get over your fear though, just having to jump from 12m with a rope does take some willpower initially but I don’t even think about it anymore.
For most of my life I always hated the idea of exercise just for the sake of exercise. I would try to find activities where exercise was an associated benefit. Hiking, skateboarding, rock climbing etc. Eventually being an adult slowly killed all of my recreational fitness outlets and I ended up teetering on the edge of overweight.
With the goal of getting back in shape, I tried a few gyms but I never got into it. It always felt like a chore. Turns out the problem for me was that I am a cheap bastard, and I was only considering the least expensive discount shitty gyms. One of my friends convinced me to try out a pricier more fully featured gym and it made a huge difference. Well maintained equipment, group classes, child care while you work out, showers that didn’t scare me. It was a lot less intimidating, and it switched the gym experience from feeling like a chore to feeling like a break.
Not saying it’d be the same for everyone, just what ended up working for me.
The trick is to do it regularly and develop an addiction. I worked in an care home one summer and after that I promised myself to exercise until I die.