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 do light workouts at home, and it’s honestly a hassle, but I enjoy the benefits of it (especially walking just to take my mind off of things). So I kinda just suck it up lol. I’m still working towards making it a habit (if not already), so what I do is also watch videos during sessions.
I find that being active along with having a balanced diet makes me feel energized throughout the day, and also make me sleep better at night.
I also look forward to cheat days. I work hard and in return, reward myself with something good. Whenever I find myself feeling lazy, I try my best to push through with it. Feels kinda bad to skip tbh so I try to make it up the following day.
I definitely do. My dumb-dumb brain doesn’t really get the whole neurotransmitter thing, but as stingy as it is with dopamine and nor-adrenaline, as generous it is with endorphins. Oh, you’re 5 minutes into your cardio warm-up of your hour long work-out? Enjoy this heap of endorphins for the next 2 hours. I feel good, it’s extremely meditative because thoughts are just on pause, I love getting stronger and more in shape, and I always go in the sauna at the end of my work-out which is a huge motivator before going and makes it all even better at the end. I always walk out of the gym completely zen and satisfied.
If you don’t get such an easy endorphin rush, I don’t know what to do. I can imagine it would suck in that case.
Those count 😊 , but I guess I was mostly talking about indoor workouts like cycling, jogging on a treadmill, lifting weights. Something that you do purely for fitness sake.
It keeps me nice and slim, and is my way of dealing with stress and any thoughts I may have swishing around in my head. I live in an area that allows me to walk anywhere I want (ie. not America) and I don’t need a car at all, luckily.
And I do push it a bit. I walked 36km which is around 21 miles on Sunday, and 32km on Saturday. My legs were starting to hurt like hell nearing the end of it but I always keep going. It feels good to push past what I thought was my limit and keep going. I don’t think there’s any real conscious thought behind it, it’s just how I am. And as I’m in the office today, I’ll be walking there and back too (5 miles each way), no bother at all.
Running and weight lifting though? Not my thing. Too much rushing around for the former and not enough moving around for the latter!
Edit: realised my conversion to miles is off. It’s early. Turns out according to Google maps I walked 21 miles Sunday…! Took just under 5 hours. And I did get a bit sunburnt, but otherwise fine as usual
The repetitiveness would have me get bored instantly… Have you tried bouldering? Every route is different, you have to figure out how to move, which muscles to activate etc…, so you stick to the boulder (wall) and dont fall off. It is so much more rewarding because you not only do a physical activity but also analyse and solve a problem. Might not feel like this for the very beginner problems but definitely later one, once your technique backpack gets a bit bigger. Can highly recommend.
Eh, not sure if enjoyment is the right word. But it’s nice.
I started with running this year and it was awful and painful. But after I passed a certain threshold I realized it’s no longer painful, I could just hold the pace and run like forever.
Now it’s sort of relaxing experience where I can just let loose my brain and think about whatever I want for like half an hour. Which is nice when you’re an adult with no time for yourself
How to achieve this - I don’t even know myself how I made it. I got one of those Garmin watches for birthday and there was this Coach feature, I just followed it and after like 4 months I was able to run 12 km
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.
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.
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
I forgot to add, it’s good to have a goal. Whether it’s losing weight or building muscle, and have a plan to achieve it. Keep at it, it takes time for new habits to form.
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