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?
It depends. Running and lifting I enjoy the results but the activity is boring, I never got runners high.
Jazzercise was fun fun fun though, any sort of dance aerobics like that is perfect because have to pay just the right amount of attention to it - enough that I can’t think about other things, but not so much that I really have to think hard about the movements. I wish there were still classes by me.
Yoga is fun too, in a different way. It takes concentration, always adjustments to posture, and it’s very empowering to be able to do handstands or other arm balances, it’s challenging in a good way and the reminders to coordinate your breath with movement is helpful.
So for me it depends on what the workout is but sure, I like moving physically, enjoy it and don’t do it only for results.
Problem is, I’m currently wasting away due to severe anemia, and in the last 2 months, I’ve gone from deadlifting 500lbs to barely being able to carry in groceries.
Apparently I’m in the minority here but I love working out. Specifically powerlifting. Cardio is ok after the fact but I don’t particularly enjoy it during, but lifting heavy is a huge stress relief and something I look forward to daily.
I respect other people’s hobbies and try not to take anything away from them. But I completely agree with you, it’s like, hey look at that really heavy rock, I think I’m gonna lift it up and put it down 100 times, yeah that sounds really fun wooooh! I just don’t get it.
I’d equate it more closely to reading a book as a leisure activity as there are noted benefits to both but neither are strictly necessary for survival.
There’s also a degree of mental conditioning to it as well. Once you start feeling and seeing the results, it reinforces the workout itself as the activity responsible for that and makes the workout itself more enjoyable as a result.
Plus I just enjoy pushing myself. Mentally and physically I enjoy a challenge and powerlifting is an easily quantifiable way to accomplish that.
Yeah im not saying exercise itself is pointless, just going to a gym and lifting is the most tedious way to exercise. To use your reading example, playing a sport like tennis or football, or riding a bike through a trail or something would be like reading a story book, whereas going to the gym would be like reading a dictionary or an encyclopedia.
If its what you enjoy, more power to you. but i really dont get it.
Riding my bike for long rides? Absolutely love it.
Slinging weights in the gym and sweating my ass off on an elliptical machine? Hate every second. But I listen to audio books in the gym, and that makes it much more enjoyable. Im envious of people who actually enjoy the gym lol.
I very much like how I feel after the gym, and overall when Im active which is why I keep going back.
I enjoy the simplicity of weightlifting. Make sure your form is good, count reps, count sets, take note of the weight lifted. All of that keeps my mind occupied for 2h, no room for it to wander into topics I’d rather not think about atm.
I also find some measure of joy out of knowing I’m lifting more today than I was last week, it’s simple and measurable progress. No room for subjective bias, unlike other things I’m trying to improve upon.
It also has the added benefit of tiring me out. GAD and ADHD make for horrible bedfellows, they’ve made nights sleepless for me more often than not, so I’ll take any help I can get.
Edit: otoh, I hate cardio with a passion. Its boring and does nothing but make me sweat and lets my mind wander. I’ve tried everything, from music, to audiobooks, to podcasts. Plus, I feel like I run loudly, like my feet are made of lead, and I don’t like being loud.
Used to swim when I was a kid, was pretty good too apparently. Coach wanted to put me in a pre-15 y/o (10-15 y/o) competition when I was 6 or 7. Got cold feet and dipped out. I dunno if I could take it as an alternative though, I’ve done it now and again but it feels like running. I prefer HIT and even that I don’t love.
I love swimming because of the rhythm, the breathing, the form and it feels like flying. It’s also very quiet. Like the noise of the world goes away first. And eventually, when I find my rhythm, my brain stops it’s busyness. People tell me this about running, but running just hurts my knees a bit.
Hella fun and video gamey - but my god damn nimble hands keep getting torn up. I’m putting on tape on the afflicted areas, but other areas will then become a problem.
I’m thinking that I need to just continue. At some point, my skin must start learning that it has to toughen up.
Btw. Are there any good climbing communities in the fediverse?
Ya also just take care in how you handle holds, make more deliberate slower grabs for holds so you aren’t relying on contact friction so much. Eventually skin toughens up. Also sand off your callouses they become weak spots for flappers once they get too big.
As for climbing communities I haven’t looked yet but I should!
I’ve found that I’ve progressively stated making better grabs as I’ve been training - I’ll keep your advise in mind.
Atm. I’m not even starting building up callouses. I’m considering maybe taking a week’s break to rest my hands - but I’m feeling like I’ll regress if I do this.
Probably I’m going to do “chin ups” on the wall to get better upper body / arm strength. Often when I’m struggling, I seem to get the most torn up hands.
EDIT: Wait… I do enjoy cycling and jogging. I just don’t enjoy working out athe gym. For jogging I enjoy listening to music and having my heart pump harder for an hour. For cycling I enjoy the scenery.
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.
Depending on where you live, it might be nice to see a lot more of what’s around you on a bike. It’s similar to OP’s idea of getting lost in the flow of a competitive sport. You get lost looking at all the places that pass you by. You can take random routes each time and learn the city around you pretty well. It doesn’t hurt to have your headphones in and listen to an audiobook while you’re doing this either.
I never really got into running because it’s so much slower than biking. You will see a fraction of what you see on a bike, so I think it probably gets boring quicker. Plus it puts more strain on your joints.
Cardio is awesome, the runners high is real, but you have to be well conditioned so it’s tough for beginners.
Sometimes, I also like to do workouts because it makes me feel productive while not being as mentally taxing as my ‘job’ of being a full time college student :/
Cardio is awesome, the runners high is real, but you have to be well conditioned so it’s tough for beginners.
Hell nah. I spent 40 years telling people running is what you do to get away from the police. I started jogging during the pandemic 2 years ago. You sure as shit don’t need to be well conditioned just be aware of your body and its limits which I will admit many people are not.
I started running to lose some weight recently. And I genuinely enjoy it.
It’s alone time, time to think, or listen to an album or podcast and just be alone.
I enjoy the progress I’m seeing. Every week I can run further than I could the last week, every week gets easier and faster, and beating my pb is a real endorphin rush. Every week I weigh less than I did the previous week.
I enjoy feeling proud of myself. It would be so easy to sit on the couch and watch Netflix. Or play a silly little video game. And that’s what most people do. I enjoy not being most people. I enjoy putting in the work to better myself.
I enjoy pushing myself. When my legs burn and I don’t think I can run anymore, but I push through that and run another kilometer. the runners high is real. Not comparable to a fun drug, but still feels good.
So yeah, I’m not a fitness guy, but working out definitely has it’s place and can be enjoyable
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