I can imagine people having fun getting lost in the flow of playing a competitive sport. I’ve also heard some people experience a post-workout high. But does anyone actually feel pleasure in the moment while lifting weights, jogging, cycling, etc?
If so… what does it feel like? Is there anything the rest of us can do to cultivate such a mindset?
I used to enjoy aerobics classes when I was younger. Now that I’m old, after my morning chores, I put out 4 big puzzle mat squares and do those old moves (low-impact so I don’t have to put on a bra or shoes) for 30 minutes or more while my phone plays 135 bpm music and the TV plays Midsomer Murders on silent with closed captions. At 135 bpm, even high-marching in place is aerobic, and adding kicks and punches and dance moves is easy and better for the joints. No choreography, just 8 of something and switch, so I can follow the murder plot. I don’t have to change out of PJs or go anywhere or let anyone but the cat see me sweat. Afterwards I stagger into a cooling shower and come out to catch the murderer. I DON’T enjoy working out, and I DON’T get a high from having done it. But I can go to bed at night without doing guilty leg lifts and crunches in bed and waking up my spouse. So I try to do it daily.
Yup, I look forward to and enjoy the heck out of my workouts. I go to an indoor rock climbing gym and enjoy every minute on the wall. What’s the trick to that mindset? Find something you enjoy. I hate running. I kinda like cycling. And don’t really care for weightlifting or other general “workouts”. But, dang do I like climbing.
The best workout you can do is the one you will actually do. Find one you like and that’s much easier.
Pleasure from Dopamine release happens after a painful stimulus ends, so it’s not exactly pleasure, but I do find running and cycling enjoyable. Nice time to be in my thoughts, see some natural beauty, feel the sun and wind on my skin, earn a feeling of accomplishment, etc
I dislike running, getting tired, hot and sweaty. However i love post workout feeling good, the moment its over for the day, the tension of my muslces after a workout, and a nice cold shower especially during summer heat. I also enjoy when i notice things have become easier after being consistent with my workouts, though i have to increase the difficulty its a nice fealing of progress. Sleep is getting better i just need my meals to be at a good direction to get the best out of myself.
I have a love hate relationship with it. I absolutely love it when I’m consistent with it. When I fall off the wagon, I hate trying to get back into it. Its hard and I could easily just go and do anything else.
For me it was a process of finding a certain sport that does that for me. Try out as many sports that you can. I hate running. I find cycling ok. I love climbing. Sometimes I like lifting. Music and enough sleep make a huge difference for me, I hate working out when I am tired.
Have you tried cycling for cardio? I used to be just like you but riding a bike fast is such an enjoyable experience to me that I forget I am doing cardio in the first place.
I don’t have the resources to get an actual bike at the moment but I have been eyeing the exercise one at the gym as a more enjoyable way of doing cardio, I’ll give it a go!
At the gym the rowing machines were always my least hated cardio machine. The exercise bikes there don’t do cycling any justice because you obviously don’t get a sense of speed
I like the feeling of progress as I’m still in the “noticeable improvement” phase of workouts, but while I’m actually on the bike I just kinda feel bored
I can push through it but it’s a means to an end, and I feel better after, not during.
I also play Beat Saber several times a week! It’s loads of fun. I find the multiplayer gets me competitive and I’ll end up playing for up to 2 hours (assuming I’ve kept my endurance up).
I’ve never seen that replay feature before, that’s really cool. I stopped playing modded songs a while ago because the plugin kept breaking and was incompatible with multiplayer. Has that gotten any better? (I play on SteamVR w/ Valve Index)
Do you take progress pics and keep track of your time, speed, reps, sets, and weight?
That made it fun for me. I enjoy seeing the numbers go up and seeing my body change. It’s like leveling up in a game lol.
Also I find that some people find it boring bc they see it as a useless activity since they don’t see much progress. Something my trainer told me was that I could never outrun a shitty diet and after my diet was fixed, I was able to make real progress
Yeah I can see a treadmill being extremely boring. I usually ride and run outside, but I had to ride on a trainer for a couple of weeks because of an injury and it was just awful. I couldn’t wait to be done. But when I’m outside sometimes I’ll extend my ride for another 10km just because the weather is nice and I feel good, I’m (almost) never in a rush to finish.
I don’t think I could run on a treadmill either, at least outside I have short goals to reach (ok now to the next lamp post…)
It for sure takes time to reach a point of fitness where exercise feels good. Starting out totally untrained is really tough, and most people don’t stick with it long enough for exercise to feel good.
It’s also helpful to find something you like or think is cool in the first place. Many people fall off the workout grind because they think it’s mandatory for them to suffer through steady state cardio for an hour or insert thing that you in particular don’t like.
For me, powerlifting was the perfect balance of measurable, incremental progress, plus there’s time between sets to get focused for the next one. I literally can’t do steady state cardio without wanting to blow my brains out, but lifting weights and being strong? Yes please. With how I feel outside of the gym because of it? I’m in this shit for life.
thats a good way to put it. I really hate the Monotony of it so i try to change the workouts. I am not ever excited to go to the gym, but i want the effects of it so i just have to deal
Late to the party here, but in my home gym I set up a teevee with my nVidia Shield so I can watch whatever I want. This really helps with motivation as it rewires the task for more enjoyment. I play whatever comedies I enjoy which distracts from the difficulties that naturally come with working out. If I have a new show to watch, all the better. Silly shows like TPB, Reno911, Corporate, and Peep Show. Just keep them playing and I can keep going (mostly). Made a huge difference and I thought others should know this trick. It helped me to lose 50lbs!
Running is meditative for me and without it I feel horribly depressed. I get in the zone and am able to work through so many different emotions that I can’t otherwise access when I’m not running. The workout itself isn’t super enjoyable, but the runner’s high and the rest of my day are so much better if I get my run in.
I would if I could, but my body doesn’t like that. Usually do 3-4 times per week and try to cross train on my off days. I lift but I don’t get that same meditative feeling. Cycling is close but still not quite the same.
I haven’t gone running in a really long time now but I used to love getting that runners high. When I first started training for an obstacle run I could barely run for 2 minutes straight and in the end I’d finish my 10km and decide to do one more lap because the music was just so good and I felt like I could go for ages. I ended up doing like 4km extra one time. Man I miss that feeling… Maybe I should start doing it again.
Is there anything the rest of us can do to cultivate such a mindset?
For cardio it’s basically “go slow”. The main source of discomfort is the exertion.
An easy long run with good music is quite meditative and enjoyable.
When your legs hurt and you’re wheezing your lungs out, not so much.
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