Hi everyone. I'm new here and 4 months post surgery. I know I really need to add some exercise to my days but I haven't found anything that I even remotely enjoy doing. I'm not ready to join a gym because I'm afraid I won't stick with it and really can't afford to pay for something I'm not using. Based on past experience, the expense has not been a motivator to keep going.

YEARS ago (mid-90s), I had been going to a gym and taking aerobics classes which I did enjoy. Since then, I have tried everything from dancing (terribly uncoordinated) to crossfit (too intense) to yoga (meh) but haven't found anything that I like enough to keep doing.

All that being said, does anyone have suggestions for possible exercises for someone who hates to exercise? I would prefer something I can do at home for now. Links or specific programs would be appreciated. Thanks! ?

12 hours ago, SpartanMaker said:

Some that come to mind are Barre, Pilates, TRX, Yoga or any of the various Les Mills Classes like BodyPump, BodyAttack, etc.

further to this, here are some suggestions for more beginner, entry type classes/activities:

- Restorative Yoga (mildest yoga you could do...usually for those coming off injuries, pregnant, older, and Beginners!

- walking club (you can find these on MeetUp or at your local community centre, or running store) ive seen these groups on the street, in the forests, at the mall.

- gardening! fun tidbit: one summer a long time ago, my husband got a manual grass cutter saying we needed to save the planet and get some exercise while we do it. we still use it for fun sometimes when its a nice day and wanna hang out outside longer (cuz it takes forever lol)

- volunteering at a hospital or animal shelter...you will be moving alot plus the added bonus of doing something nice.

it all starts with a start.

good luck!❤️

Edited September 19, 20241 yr by ms.sss

8 hours ago, ShoppGirl said:

If I remember correctly, the YMCA is quite a bit cheaper if you can swing the yearly fee.

No annual discount available at the YMCA near me.

18 hours ago, SpartanMaker said:

Based on your responses, I'd say the biggest challenge you have is overcoming your expectation that exercise should be fun. Don't get me wrong, it certainly can be fun at times, but that most likely will never be your main motivation for exercise. Frankly sometimes it may even be decidedly "un fun", yet you still CAN do it if you find a way to overcome your "hate". Simply put, you need one or more things that will motivate you that are stronger than the distaste you feel.

I'm not asking for "fun". I'm looking for something tolerable so I will do it. I've tried the classes but around here, you have to be a member of a gym. I can't afford that.

Edited September 19, 20241 yr by OndLei

13 hours ago, Lilia_90 said:

Once you commit to a sort of movement daily, it will become a healthy addiction and the feeling that that brings is euphoric, if I say so myself. Just make sure you start easy and build on that.

Several years ago, I was going to a gym 4-5 days a week. Not ONCE did I get that euphoria. I'm glad you do. If I did, it might make it easier to get started.

27 minutes ago, OndLei said:

No annual discount available at the YMCA near me.

Did you check your community center. I did some looking around and mine has group fitness classes. Maybe yours does too? If not, I would ask who you talk to in order to request it.

Well you motivated me to see what was available for cheaper in my area in order to hopefully give you some suggestions and I found out that my own community center has lots of classes for cheap. They have a yoga class that looks promising. It’s Stretch and Flow Yoga. I have no clue what that means and I’m pretty sure it’s not beginner but I will just start in the back and do what I can I guess. ??‍♀️ They also have a class that does some strength training and moderate cardio that I think I need to wait a little longer in the cardio and I know I need to wait two more weeks to be cleared for weights. I will be able to do them both time wise eventually, though, which would be 4 days a week. I’m seriously excited. I really hope that you find something that makes you excited too because exercise really does make you feel better once you get into the grove. Now I just have to figure out what people are wearing to Yoga nowadays. She says as she plans to go check out Amazon right after this. ?

18 hours ago, summerseeker said:

Snap, almost ! I have had my ovaries and a huge cyst removed this week. For some reason they left them 28 years ago when I had my hysterectomy. I now have a new belly scar and have lost my belly button. I have gotten to my own target weight at last. I wonder if its the missing belly button, the cyst or the deplorable hospital food that accounts for the big weight drop. Hope you are feeling more like yourself today, I am, even though I am walking around hugging my tummy like I am about to loose my insides.

Apparently they leave your ovaries unless your menopausal so that’s likely why you still had yours from 28 years ago and they took everything of mine. Oh yes hospital food is awful. Plus at my hospital they have an app through which to order your meals & your water. OMG the worst app ever. Ordered a jug of water (to take my meds) and a cup of tea early one morning but then couldn’t order breakfast 90 minutes later because the app said I’d already ordered breakfast! Rang to order instead and the wrong meal was delivered. Oh we don’t have natural muesli anymore I was told when I complained so they bought me an high sugar, high fat, high calorie alternative! Grrrrr! Everything was all spicy and pasta & pizza & burgers for people in hospital!! I lived on clear soup (salty or flavourless) and jatz crackers and cheese (threw up the cheese) & hummus. No weight drop for me though just constipation & peeing out the fluids for days. Hope you’re recovering well.

5 hours ago, Arabesque said:

Apparently they leave your ovaries unless your menopausal so that’s likely why you still had yours from 28 years ago and they took everything of mine. Oh yes hospital food is awful. Plus at my hospital they have an app through which to order your meals & your Water. OMG the worst app ever. Ordered a jug of water (to take my meds) and a cup of tea early one morning but then couldn’t order Breakfast 90 minutes later because the app said I’d already ordered breakfast! Rang to order instead and the wrong meal was delivered. Oh we don’t have natural muesli anymore I was told when I complained so they bought me an high sugar, high fat, high calorie alternative! Grrrrr! Everything was all spicy and Pasta & pizza & burgers for people in hospital!! I lived on clear Soup (salty or flavourless) and jatz crackers and cheese (threw up the cheese) & hummus. No weight drop for me though just Constipation & peeing out the fluids for days. Hope you’re recovering well.

I feel for you. Mine was like bad 1960's school dinners. All my menu was cereal, toast, packet soup, sandwiches, dry meat and potatoes with frozen veg. No one understood my no carbs please diet. I ate 3 child size packs of cornflakes and 2 tubs of ice cream all the time I was there. I would have died for some cheese. Thank god for lattes from the Costa down stairs. Could not fault the staff though, they were stellar.

15 hours ago, ShoppGirl said:

Did you check your community center. I did some looking around and mine has group fitness classes. Maybe yours does too? If not, I would ask who you talk to in order to request it.

I don't have a community center near me.

16 hours ago, OndLei said:

I'm not asking for "fun". I'm looking for something tolerable so I will do it. I've tried the classes but around here, you have to be a member of a gym. I can't afford that.

My point is you're probably looking in vain. You're hoping that there must be something out there that won't suck and that once you find it, that alone will be enough to motivate you to continue to do it.

I'm just being honest here, but even if you do find something, I doubt that alone will be sufficient to keep you motivated to continue. You need other things that motivate you to exercise and if you can find and latch on to those, they can overcome all the objections you have even for things that are not as tolerable to you.

I suggest looking back through all your replies in this thread. The are full of reasons why every single suggestion won't work. This absolutely screams to me that you just have not found sufficient reasons to exercise that can overcome the myriad of objections you have. Let's take walking, as an example. You stated you can't walk, because it's dangerous to walk in your neighborhood, but didn't address why you can't either drive (if you drive), or take public transportation to somewhere safer. You also stated you have a treadmill, but don't use it. I get it, it's boring. So is doing the dishes, but I bet you still do that?

I believe if you were sufficiently motivated to exercise, you'd find a way to get past all the objections. I guess what I'm saying is maybe it's time to stop looking for reasons why you can't exercise and start looking for reasons why you can.

I'll also recommend the Atomic Habits book again. I really think it's what you need to address what's keeping you from exercising.

Best of luck.

37 minutes ago, SpartanMaker said:

I suggest looking back through all your replies in this thread. The are full of reasons why every single suggestion won't work. This absolutely screams to me that you just have not found sufficient reasons to exercise that can overcome the myriad of objections you have.

this was pretty obvious to me too.

( i noticed the original question was posed in june, and almost 3 months later, the objections remain)

so here's a different angle: maybe just accept that traditional/dedicated exercise just isn't for you? i know lots of people who don't partake in dedicated exercise (who, may i add are "normal" sized) and seem to lead perfectly happy lives.

exercise isn't everyone's cup of tea, sure its definitely an added bonus if one does it regularly for both mental and physical health, but you are not going to do it unless you actually want to do it. so why force it?

just like the decision to get weight loss surgery, you are ready when you're ready....you just need a compelling enough reason to do it (which u don't have at the moment, it seems)

maybe you'll feel differently next month, next year, maybe in 10 years , or maybe never. and thats ok, it is what it is.

BUT... if you ever decide to get on the exercise train for reals, there are alot of us on here who would be ready and willing to help!

good luck! ❤️

Edited September 20, 20241 yr by ms.sss

19 hours ago, OndLei said:

Several years ago, I was going to a gym 4-5 days a week. Not ONCE did I get that euphoria. I'm glad you do. If I did, it might make it easier to get started.

I have had many many many days where I didn’t feel like working out, but hey nothing in life comes easy, everything worth having requires work and effort. If life was supposed to be easy and “fun” we wouldn’t be here on this platform encouraging each other to try our best and keep going even on the hard days. It is easy to find reasons not to (completely your prerogative) but I am pretty sure there is many good advice and hacks in this thread that are useful. It depends on whether you really want to do anything with it or not. Best of luck to you ♥️

On 9/20/2024 at 12:04 PM, Lilia_90 said:

It is easy to find reasons not to (completely your prerogative) but I am pretty sure there is many good advice and hacks in this thread that are useful. It depends on whether you really want to do anything with it or not. Best of luck to you ♥️

Thank you, but also to be fair, I didn't get many specific suggestions which is what I asked for. Those that I did receive, I'm looking in to. Most of what I got was "just get up and get moving" which I already knew and was why I was looking for ideas.

Thank you all for your opinions. I'm going to stop replying to additional posts as it seems to just be going in circles now. I do appreciate the time you spent responding. Take care.