Guys, I hate the gym so much
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Anonymous
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I cannot find the "exercise I'll keep doing because I enjoy it."
After a lifetime of not exercising, I started jogging. That went fine for a while, but I didn't really enjoy it, so eventually stopped. I thought biking might be nice, but I distrusted my willingness to keep with it, so I bought a pretty cheap bike and it's heavy and I hate it, so no biking happened. I decided I'd work out at home with apps. That was a disaster because knowing I can do it anytime meant I did it no time. So then I joined a gym and I've been going religiously but I also hate it and can see it dropping off. So...what? What can I do? What will stick? I have work and kids so I need something I can do really early in the morning or randomly during breaks in the day. I'm just kind of a physically lazy person but I don't want to be that way. Any ideas? |
Anonymous
| I put a gym in my house. It is NOT fancy but it has everything that I need. I have a peleton, weights of all sizes, a bench press, kettle ball, mats, mirrors, etc. I also have a tv in there. I put on one of my favorite shows for a hour and work out. I stick to a schedule though. I work out for a hour when the kids go to bed, then shower and bed. |
Anonymous
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Go for a walk outside
Join an outdoor pool That's what I do. I hate gyms as well. They are gross IMO. Great way to get sick. I do worry about my lack of strength training, though, not that I know how to strenth train. |
Anonymous
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Take short walks throughout the day
Take your kids on the walks Take bike rides with your kids Join a pool and swim laps while the kids swim |
Anonymous
I've joined a yoga studio that has strength, pilates and yoga in person and online. On the days I can't go in I do it online...some as early as 7am! I also play pickleball on the weekends for social and some exercise. It is very easy to learn. |
Anonymous
I could never do this because my kids wanted to play with me! |
Anonymous
| I am the same way OP. I often just do an easy a Peloton class. What I like about that is the stats - I might have estimated I got half as much exercise as with a class where I feel like I’m going to die, but I actually get like 80%. My heart rate doesn’t go as high but it definitely goes up into the healthy range and as long as I do 45 minutes I feel like that’s a lot of benefit. |
Anonymous
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You might just be someone who needs to change it up every four weeks or so.
If the problem is making a dedicated time, you should start with that and not worry about what the exercise is. Beyond that, only commit to a given type of exercise for a specific length of time. So maybe do Pilates for four weeks and then switch to plyometric training. Or weights. Or running. Start with 20 minutes (or less) and slowly increase until you identify the longest duration you can maintain in a sustainable way. |
Anonymous
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I found having the access at home to be the solution for me. But I was super active until I got to the later part of grad school, stopped in law school, and was on a train to a bad place right before 40.
I can run and cycle indoor for training purposes now. That is huge. Especially the biking which is effectively just an advanced version of peloton (I started with our peloton). Often I get up and have 1-3 hours done before work starts. That’s an extreme example, but it’s totally possible and doing it at home for me made all the difference. And my job is boring and stressful, so exercise is about 4 million times more enjoyable. |
Anonymous
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George Foreman used to have a fitness column years ago. He stays fit by doing brush clearing and other big chores around his ranch. We have acreage, so I do this.
I also hate gyms, but I've always been active. I agree with the people who mentioned hiking, swimming, home gyms etc. I don't love our home gym, but it's a great way to listen to podcasts. If you have safe bike trails, it would be worth it to get a better bike, or even to rent one. |
Anonymous
| I workout on my home elliptical machine 5 days each week. I always give myself Monday and Friday off. Basically, 3 days on, 1 off, 2 on, 1 off. Having a schedule means on my off days, I have zero guilt. |
Anonymous
| I like the community aspect of OTF? |
Anonymous
| Have you tried any boutique fitness studios? I do barre. I was a cheerleader when I was younger and something about doing the choreography set to music scratches an itch for me. Maybe there’s something out there that would do the same for you. |
Anonymous
I think you need give OrangeTheory Fitness (OTF) a try. I hate the gym as well, and am not motivated to "come up with" workouts on my own. Or stick to walks or following an app. What I have enjoyed most about OTF for the 6 years I've been a member is that it's 1-hour - starts on time, ends on time - and they TELL ME WHAT TO DO! It's perfect for me and I've never been more physically fit. I couldn't even run a mile in high school and now I can do it in under 9 minutes (that's not fast for many, but it's great for me). I love it. |
Anonymous
| I hate the gym too. What about something else like a dance class or rock climbing? I do ballet and then do weight training at home. |