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Comment by atom-morgan | Hacker News Reader

> Some people don't get any pleasure by exercising

Couldn't this be a result of not exercising? It doesn't seem to be a coincidence that people who've made exercise a habit generally seem to enjoy it more.

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It's rather obvious that people who find it more enjoyable will have an easier time making a habit of it.

The only way I've found to keep myself in shape is to find activities I enjoy. For me it's dancing and rock climbing. But I had to try a bunch of things to discover that. I never imagined I would like dancing before I tried it.

Also, not everyone responds equally to exercise. Some people improve much faster than others. Some people see no progress at all unless they exercise at high intensity. Understandably it's harder to get motivated if you see little progress. I'm lucky in that, while I'm not athlete material, it's not super hard for me to gain muscle and improve my cardio.

See: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/health-and-fitness/fitne...

I've had that result with some activities. No amount of distance running, it seems, will ever make it feel like something enjoyable and healthy rather than something incredibly boring that makes me feel like I'm less healthy afterward. Meanwhile, weightlifting and sports—even those with lots of running!—are fun and make me feel alive, but I could definitely see someone not feeling that way about any exercise.

I find running pairs well with music -- I'm into electronic dance music, and running allows me to simulate how the music would feel at a nightclub: you're physically engaged, sweating, does the music push you forward or pull you back? What are the cycles of tension and energy and are they effective? I also find myself more able to really dig in and listen while running: I've found myself gaining a much deeper understanding of albums after I've run with them.

I would find running without music to be frustrating and boring. Although, after about 15-20 minutes, I just drift off into thought-land and kinda forget that I'm running, so maybe it'd be doable. I guess that's runner's high/endocannabinoids for ya.

I find weightlifting less fun but it's SO healthy (and quick) that I push through and do it anyway.

But what if I dislike nightclubs?

Between you and me, I also dislike nightclubs, hate the environment/social setting, but I like some of the music (unfortunately not the stuff they play at most nightclubs around here either) and I like the idea of music as a source of energy/physical motion.

Honestly I think it's that it just starts to suck less with each time you do it. I've run the gamut in my life from overweight couch potato that didn't exercise for years, to fanatically going to the gym 3 hours a day, five days a week. Running an 8-9 minute mile when I was in my worst shape would have been orders of magnitude harder for me, mentally, to complete - than probably a half marathon or something when I was in good shape. That doesn't mean I've _ever_ liked going to the gym and working out. It did mean that at times when I was in such good shape I didn't mind it that much.

I've faithfully gone to the gym 5 times a week every week for a year and a half. I still despise exercise - but I like the results enough to keep going.

My inspiration is simple [0]. Ultimately, I'm in control of how I look and feel. Exercise sucks - but it's the best way to keep myself looking how I want to look. That's the only motivation I need to suffer through it.

[0] http://i.imgur.com/B63LzdF.jpg

Maybe it's not exercise you hate, but the gym. I tried the gym once and dropped it because I hated it. A few years later I found running and loved it; then I found cycling and loved it even more.

Exercise is tiring enough as it is (that's the point). You should at least find something you enjoy, otherwise it's even more likely that you won't do it.

I agree.. I have had a greenway near me for 5 years before I started using it... If you can do something without even having to commute to it, it can be even easier to start a habit

I tried everything - lifting weights is the only thing that 'stuck'. I'd love to swim, but the only pool is at the gym and it's heavily chlorinated and I have to shower before and after swimming which is now outside of "convenient to exercise".

The gym is a few minutes up the road, I'd jog but it's on an incline - terrible for the knees.

Scan in, get changed, throw some weight around, wipe off the sweat (not enough time for a full shower), leave. It's convenient enough and something I've managed to stick with long-term.

Of course it's not a coincidence; people who enjoy exercise generally make a habit of it.

Sometimes I enjoy exercising, sometimes I do not.

I always enjoy having exercised.

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