Asklemmy

For its own sake, no. Unless I happen to be doing something I intrinsically enjoy that happens to give me exercise, I hate it every time. I need some really motivating tunes otherwise, and they wear out fast after a few listens.

Does swimming, yoga, biking and gardening count as exercise, or are we strictly taking about big muscle workout?

Pleasure for me comes from achievement. The time I first ran 5k in under 30 minutes, or the first time I deadlifted more than my own bodyweight. Achieving these things gives you that nice feeling. Yeah, there are people who can run faster or lift heavier, but I try and concentrate on my progress - doesn't always work but I know deep down I'm getting better at the things I choose to do.

I love cycling, although I would say it's a combination of travel + physical activity that does it for me. I can also listen to some stuff in the background while cycling, which satisfies my ADHD monkey brain, because it's two (or three) experiences crammed into one time slot (efficiency!).

Listen to music and https://youtu.be/j0B7bzP-Gog

Cycling, definitely. It's just fun to do.

Of course you can be pushing hard or some jackass in a car just passed you with inches to spare, and those times aren't fun, but most of the time it's fun. My wife says I do my best thinking while I'm riding. If I'm on a group ride, there's often good conversation with friends.

I do. Something in my monkey brain just likes lifting heavy shit.

It's kind of hard to describe really

It's like you're lost in the movements, you're caught in the flow, the strain is no longer a struggle, you just flow, you move and it moves.

Your reps go on, your sets flow together, the down time ceases being a factor, you're there.

The presence of mind and body, you are there, you are now, you move.

Numbers mean nothing but you know when the reps are done, the exercises flow together.

Someone could call your name and you wouldn't know it as it's not in your mind.

There's only the movement, there's only the flow.

There is no you, there is no weights, there is no other, there is only movement and flow.

And when it's over you know it, yet feel like you could go a second time through the whole affair. And sometimes I do and then I feel Godly for the whole day and sometimes the next.

And the sleep quality that night is beyond description.

I've hit that state many times doing calisthenics (my typical workout), when out biking, and when out hiking. It's always the same really.

Hour long calisthenics routine? What's a second hour really?

20 mile bike ride? I could go another round, why not snag some dinner from that food cart I got lunch at?

15 mile hike? Well tonight's going to be even better with all the stars, what's a second trip around the mountain?

You don't get there immediately, you won't get there every time, but when you do it's bliss.

Started hitting the gym for about 4 months now, what has helped me a lot is getting a personal trainer, he helps me push past the last 5%, and it gives me someone to talk to between reps. And while I don't necessarily get pleasure in the moment while lifting weights, I do get it afterwards, when feeling my muscles burn. And it does wonders for my energy levels and my general mood.

I also started running a month ago, I promised someone I will participate in a 10k in October with them. This is definitely more on the "existence is pain" side, but while doing it I try to focus more on my form and breathing, and less on how it makes me feel.

I didn't enjoy it at first, but seeing progress in my weightlifting encouraged me a ton. Eventually I did start enjoying the actual workout, and if I skip a day it feels like something is missing.

Ive been lifting for about 4 years, it took 6-12 months for me to start enjoying the process.

Cycling, yes. Running, not so much because my calves tend to seize up and it gets a little painful but I can see how it could be enjoyable.

Climbing is absolutely amazing!

Lifting weights… I tried. I find it exceedingly boring, and it never felt like I actually worked out, even when I was pushing hard.

Yeah sometimes. I know that even if I did nothing in a day, if I go work out I feel like I did something.

It also feels good to get a personal record on a machine or at an exercise.

It also feels great to get a good pump in.

After a workout you feel satisfied and tired and it's great!

Also seeing your strength and stamina go up in everyday tasks is satisfying.

My advice is start slow. Even if it's a light day and you're kind of miserable, you still feel good about getting it done. Try to convince yourself to go for a week, and go easy, very easy. Like just get any amount of exercise done. It'll become easier and easier to go to the gym and to do exercises. And you'll find that you'll start to like some of them.

You might like how it stretches a muscle or tendon that is always a little tight. Back extensions feel AMAZING

You might like how strong certain exercises feel

You might like how the extra muscle alleviates pains you've had in the past

You might like how much definition a certain exercise gives you.

You might even just become proud of how good you can do an exercise. I used to have that. "Yeah I'm not bad at working out, but crunches? I'll beat anyone"

it's fun sometimes to bring a friend along and compete a little as well. You can also motivate each other to keep going.

Yeah, it's very relaxing stress release. I spend a lot of my day looking forward to my lifting between 10-11pm and thinking about what accessory work I'll be able to get to do after my main lifts.

You can listen to podcasts, nobody is coming to ask you to do something and demand your attention, there's no other chores to do during that hour.

It's addicting too, feeds the same itch from video games leveling up, grinding in Diablo for that piece of loot that raises one stat by like 2% you get hungry for those little boosts and they stack up over time and you keep trying to optimize your loadout so you can squeeze out a little more performance from the build, same thing with lifting and trying to keep pushing to the next increase.

Having had both great and terrible work out days, I found what led to the good, enjoyable days was purely the mindset. HIIT on a stationary bike sucks, but I had some fun sessions when I turned it into a game. Weight lifting routines can be super boring, but changing from rep based to time based and seeing if you can crank out a few more reps without sacrificing form can make it fun.

It takes a lot to get into that mindset for me, but it's possible and it makes a world of difference. Gamification of any task can introduce a challenge and give oneself a better purpose in the moment.

I do enjoy lifting weights but I can tell it's because I've been sitting at a desk all day. I think I'd hate it if I had any other job.

YES.

And it seems I'm in the minority as well. I enjoy my workout during, but I think it's mostly psychological. This is doing either weights or cardio. For weights, the pump is key, and addictive, which is not specifically psychological.

I think the psychological part has something to do with the accomplishment of getting the workout in, and looking forward to the feeling or "high" afterwards which is noticeable to me.

Also regular workouts make me feel better generally throughout the week, on a regular basis. Very noticeable if I stop for weeks at a time, and I miss it.

I hate cardio, so that's what I do. Weird thing, but I figured if I hate something it's the thing I need to work on. Besides, it seems like cardio is the thing that helps you lose weight the fastest.

Yeah for sure. Somedays no, but once you make it part of your routine it gets alot easier to enjoy. I usually listen to podcasts or music to keep my mind more active though and that helps alot, because then you are not thinking solely of the physical exertion on my body.

I love lifting weight. I squat three to four times a week and I love going heavy. I also love bench and deadlifts also. Seeing my body get stronger is also rewarding, and just being physically capable is a great bonus. Helps counter act my sitting!

For the past year my workout has simply been roller skating. And yes, it is joyous every time!

I do genuinely enjoy cycling yeah, at least if it's outside. In general though I hate working out (and don't do it nearly enough as a result), but I do actually like the feeling afterwards

Yes, of course. But if you don't enjoy it, you don't have to do it, or don't have to do it at the level you're attempting. There are 1000 ways to be fit and healthy, you don't have to pick 2 and do them forever. Experiment.

Gods! I used to! I had to stop the kinds of exercise I loved post disability, and the fucking physical therapy shit I can still do isn't enjoyable, it's just so damn dull and doesn't give the same feeling of satisfaction, despite hurting so much more.

But I would work out up to three hours a day when I had time. Calisthenics, strength training, martial arts (unarmed, plus various weapons), break falls and air rolls (an offshoot of the martial arts).

It was fun, and I could feel the benefits of it, and I miss the ability to tell my body what to do, and it just does it.

But yeah, I not only enjoyed the workout itself, and the benefits, but I even enjoyed the ache and burn of it. It was fulfilling on so many levels.

I hate it during the workout but I love the feeling after. Problem for me is getting started

I always dread doing it but once I've started and after I've finished yes

I've always cycled a ton. Purely for travel, but I still cycle roughly 100km each week. As a teenager i often hated having to cycle, but now that I'm nearing 30 I start enjoying it more and more. It clears my head, gets me tired (I often cannot sleep without having cycled atleast 10km)

Do I enjoy my workout? Fuck no! I do it because I want to keep my body in shape and healthy. But I do experience some pleasure. During my warmup jog, I hate myself for putting myself through this, but later when I'm lifting weights, I feel like I'm somehow doing something good by lifting something so heavy. And afterwards, I feel very elated, free and awake. So it's a net positive even if the process is near torture sometimes.

I did cross fit for a few years and actually got in shape. I genuinely enjoyed working once I got in shape. You almost get addicted to the feeling if your heart rate being maxed out while sweating buckets.

I climb , so it’s fun and not really a chore at all. If anything I’m disappointed when my skin gives out and I have to give it a break.

I'm at a point where sometimes I don't want to go lift, but it's part of my routine that if I don't go I feel like shit. a chore to go, change and warm up but 20min in I just fall in the zone

Depends on the exercise. My favorites are heavy squat and deadlifts. It's just a good feeling increasing the weight every week and hitting new maxes while getting stronger.

I suck at bench so I'm never looking forward to that, but I've set goals to hit by the end of the year so I'm sticking to it.

Honestly now, I feel terrible when I don't workout and it really affects my mental state.

I am in a gym at this very moment. No I do not.

It's delayed gratification.

I hate working out. It feels like shit. It hurts. It takes time. It's not fun.

But this is so much better than looking like shit.

I'm weight deficient for a man. Had to deal with a lot of comments from not being a real man to bring viewed like a cartoon character to some women.

Every time I want to stop a set early or not workout that night, I hear all the haters and I run back to my routine.

I do it for them. And it works.

I personally enjoy cycling because my environment is calm and has low traffic with several bike paths. It's a zen feeling for me in short.

I walked on the treadmill today. It was nice. No pressure to go fast or do any prescribed workout. I put in my earbuds, had a video playing off to the side, and went at my own speed. First time I’d done that kind of thing in a long while, and it was nice. Got a whole mile in. I don’t know if that’s the appeal exercising has for everyone else, but that’s it for me.