Does anyone actually enjoy working out?

Ever bitten into a spicy pepper and enjoyed the burn? That’s what it feels like! Different strokes for different folks, but for me, every drop of sweat is a medal of honor. It’s tough to describe, but it’s about the journey of getting stronger, faster, better. Embrace the grind, my friend, and you might just find that elusive gym rat bliss.

No. Never. I think I'm very different because I am never motivated, nor feel good during/after exercise. No, my testosterone is fine.

I am not a fan of other workouts but I LOVE cycling. Wind in my face, sightseeing, ability to push harder or just cruise to catch my breath makes it really enjoyable IMO.

I'm walking every street in my (very large) suburb (think Southern California) and picking up litter while doing so. I track my progress with an app and map it to a website (citystrides.com) that fills in each neighborhood as I go.

It started as something to do during Covid--although I took a year off in there, somewhere. I listen to podcasts while I go. So I'm out of the house (I'm retired now--that helps), get some "fresh" air (🤷‍♂️ )--all while listening to and from and about interesting people. As a bonus, the space I've passed thru that day is a little "better" for me having been there.

I apparently have a dose of "completeism"--a compulsion to 'complete' something thoroughly. There's something psychologically very satisfying about watching that map get filled in.

https://i.imgur.com/GoNzZgP.png

It’s type 2 fun. You don’t want to do it, but you’re glad you did when you do

I like running, I had a knee injury and I miss running so much. I really have to make myself do weights though.

Wow, this thread has been really eye opening. As someone who completely hates exercise (I honestly can't imagine many other things that are more unpleasant), it had never really occurred to me that people exercised because they genuinely enjoyed it. I always just assumed that everyone else hated it and just forced themselves into it.

Lifting is ok, going TO the gym sucks.

I've always had sporty hobbies so at least I'm somewhat in shape. Over the years I did karate, parkour, bouldering, football, volleyball, and ive been deeeep onto hema for a long time now.

I just love having an activity that is basically "playing" but very physical. Even when i feel like I'm not progressing, I'm still having a good time and get to completely exhaust myself once a week.

Yes. It's my meditation moment. I don't have to think about anything other than my posture and movement. I just put on the music I like and go. It also helps relieve tension and frustration when something bad happens during your day. And I feel great afterwards. That post-workout high is real.

I used to. Lifting weights helped me in many aspects of my life. Particularly in regards to making goals and seeing them through. It was difficult to get into but once I started seeing results (pretty quickly) the gym became my second home for years. And then my daughter got sick and I got depressed and now it's been 5 years and god I miss it but just haven't been able to get back

Number go up, weight get heavier, me happy.

I feel pleasure while my bicycle. The feeling is a mixture of childhood play and feelgood brain chemicals.

I like to go fast :)

Yep. Especially after the training it’s like “yeah man I did it”.

Also, it’s all about consistency. Perfectionism is the enemy of consistency. Don’t be a perfectionist. Just be consistent and soon you’ll see results.

Like I see some people who just started working out and do as many push-ups or any other excercise with as many reps as they possibly can and after they’re exhausted.

That’s wrong. These people think that if you don’t do 100 pushups first day you’re a failure.

No, do even one push up. It’s more that 0. Then do 2, then 5, then 10, then 5 again coz you don’t feel like it today.

Like don’t starve for perfectionism. Just be consistent and you’ll actually get to enjoy working out. It’s a great way to clear your mind, have a healthy body, build muscles, better body chemistry and less diseases etc. Be consistent, not perfect. And avoid guys who make you feel you’re not doing enough. These guys will make you feel like every exercise should be perfect or with the highest reps possible or smth.

Climbing is the first time I had fun working out - the problem solving aspect of it is fantastic, and no route is the same. I even started training specifically to be come better at it. Now the trick is to not get injured when you get too psyched

For me its like playing Diablo. Only that im leveling my own character instead of an imaginary character (but love Diablo too!)

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.

I make workout my me time: my music, my time, my body.

Viewing working out as something that is good for me instead of a chore also does help. Concentrating on my body, really feeling the muscles contract is kind of a meditation to me.

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 love riding my bike on the weekends and if my commute wasn't 1.5 hours each way, I'd go to the gym pretty often.

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 don't. I think post workout endorphins are a myth spread to make maintenance on our meat mechs seem more palatable. I "like" to swim, in so much as the water continuously washes the sweat off while I work out.

I like the feeling when I'm working very hard. Whether that's lifting weights, hiking, mountains, or just moving heavy things I generally enjoy that feeling of exertion.

In terms of you starting to enjoy it, the only suggestion that I would make is that the only way through is forward and keep it going until it becomes enjoyable for you. That might sound counterintuitive but ultimately little in life that's easy is worthwhile and the effort that you'll put in will be rewarding.

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 do. I do it every day, at a public gym/pool. It was originally a way to maintain or regain "ability" (don't call it "fitness", I'm still old and fat). After a while, you start feeling better, and some time after that, start noticing things are getting worse if you don't do it.

For me, doing something fun, out of the house with others, helps a lot. Spin class, circuit training, water aerobics, having others around doing the same thing is motivating. I worked with a trainer for a while, they helped come up with things I like, for example, one of my favorites is tossing a medicine ball. Don't ask me why, but I like that.

If you don't enjoy it, try something else.

No. I just like how I feel afterwards.

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.

I've been going to the gym 2-4 times per week for about a year now. It's a massive chore every single time and I don't enjoy doing it but I do it for health benefits.

I hate working out because it's super boring. Like just standing there, not moving and just lifting weights.... Or running in a circle on a track... Or even cycling with no where to go. It all seems pointless. However lately I have been rock climbing, specifically bouldering. It's everything I want in working out. Problem solving, working my body in weird ways, and it's very acceptable to socialize while you do it. After, my body is screaming at me, but I had a great time so it's good!

I feel like if you feel like you need to cultivate a mindset for a particular activity, you are probably better off finding another activity. Unless you have extremely specific goals that really demand a particular exercise, it is better to simply be moderately active doing something you enjoy doing.

I've tried running/jogging, I am actually not bad at it. I freaking hate actually doing it though, I would rather be doing almost anything else. Which makes it a terrible exercise for me to do, because I will find any excuse to not do it. Same for lifting weights. I enjoy swimming but dislike public pools, in my current country nobody has private pools, even the rich.

For me I have always enjoyed martial arts, particularly sparring. I can't necessarily find people to do that with regularly where I live now, but I can still practice forms and the like by myself. I get a not insignificant workout from regular Beat Saber sessions too, honestly.

When you pump large amounts of iron in rapid succession at the gym, it makes you feel unstoppable, like you could take on the world. It's an absolutely wonderful feeling to have, and I think it can be chalked up to the testosterone boost. The way to cultivate this mindset is

1. Simply work out. The body releases the "unstoppable" chemical when you do Chad shit.
2. Have more faith in your own capabilities. This will naturally happen if you surround yourself with positive reinforcement and if you do step 1.

I walk, a lot. Everywhere. Always have done.

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

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 :/

There’s a certain immensely satisfying feeling I get during weightlifting or cardio knowing that it’s one of the single most productive/beneficial things I could be doing for my life in that moment

I don’t enjoy motivating myself to go workout. Everything up until the point of the actual workout isn’t enjoyable. But the workout and post-workout I do enjoy. There is a high associated with it. And that feeling of accomplishment, and visible progress is extremely enjoyable.

The only advice I can give is to give it adequate time. It’s easy to get discouraged. Just keep this in mind: You spent a lot of time doing damage to your body, you’re going to need to put in some effort to reverse that damage. Give it some time before getting discouraged.

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.

I have a blast playing Beat Saber every day 🤷

I just played this map like half an hour ago:

https://replay.beatleader.xyz/?scoreId=7902656

Note: I'm 45 and blind in one eye yet I still enjoy this game so much that I've lost 15 lbs and have vastly more stamina than I used to 👍

I only cycle once in a while and it feels amazing when the wind rushes through my hair and I zoom through the city.

I dislike it, so I joined a gym with a social aspect to it which keeps me accountable. And I love how I look now that I work out a lot, being comfortable shirtless in public like at a pool or beach and feeling confident in my body combined with the social aspect is enough to not mind dreading the workouts.

I have a little limitation on my leg because of a work accident, so every time I exercise it makes me feel "normal", like a boost of confidence despite the limitation, I even feel happier when I'm tired, like I needed to expel that extra energy out of me.

Lifting: I definitely don't like while I'm doing it.

Riding my bike though: it's great to get out there early in the morning and explore, see nature, etc. with the bike, I also just like the feeling of speed, so the physical act of riding can actually be enjoyable.

To a lesser degree, the same can apply to running. I find that when I've been in better shape, I could experience that runner's high.

I hate being in a gym, all those people around, not being able to see outside, stationary...yuck.

I picked up cycling and try and ride my bike frequently. I used to be much more into it, but that was also as a stoner kid and it was a great way to get out some energy before work and calm down after work.

Now it's more of an effort but I like to reward myself with a beer and some food. I try to ride about 14 miles every other day. It takes an hour or two at my pace but I can spend that time thinking, listening to music or a podcast. It can be really meditative and it feels good to have my muscles tired.

I'm addicted to my bike, I love riding on my bike and its super addicting to go fast and almost getting hit by cars.

No and I never liked it. I tried going to the gym for a while to lose weight but I felt horrible afterwards and during the excersice and the actual Impact on my obesity was quite minimal (probably my fault as I‘m sure I didn’t do everything right). So i stoped going eventually. I know started walking more, I don’t take the bus from the train station home anymore and rather walk the 3.5km with some nice podcast oj my ears. I like doing it, even atvthe current temperatures as I feel like a get 45 minutes just for me where I don’t have to listen to anyone or anything other than my podcasts I enjoy. I work ij Retail so there’s a constant barrage of people and at the end of the day you just don’t want to see people for a while. So while it does help my weight loss it also just feels kinda therapeutic in a way. I just crossed 120kg (down from 136) this morning and plan to try to extend my walks to my days of as well :-)

For me it’s about making it a routine and part of your daily life. I started out with 3 days a week lifting and now do 3 days lifting and 3 days cardio. I find it’s easier to stick to and enjoy if it’s something I do everyday. The other thing I’ve noticed is you really need to pay attention to nutrition and sleep too. Working out is a lot easier/ more enjoyable if you are providing your body with the nutrients it needs and getting enough sleep. If you just eat junk food you’re going to feel like junk when you workout

It takes some time to build a routine, getting to that point requires effort. Once you're comfortable and know your limits I personally get a lot of satisfaction from pushing my body to get faster, stronger, more agile and so on. You might feel exhausted but you know you can keep going and your body will respond.

Together with all other health benefits you get from it makes you feel good about yourself after a workout which translates to better confidence, mood and more.

The feel of your muscles tightening. It sure makes you feel that you're doing something great and you're achieving something good.

Thats how I feel.

Sometimes I’m loving the workout and feel like I’d be able to workout for hours on end and other times it’s not as enjoyable and I just want to get it over with.

But what I do enjoy is being able to see myself progress. Looking at progress pictures over the months/years and seeing growth, as well as being able to lift more than I ever have before. It never fails to make me happy.

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So I've found there's two different 'pleasure' experiences:

One is during the workout where you disassociate and just feel your muscles working. In running this is usually called a "runner's high", and in weightlifting it's typically refered to "lifting heavy thing make me happy" / "Big rock make sad voices go away"

Then there's the after-workout where you just feel your muscle exhausted as you relax and it's extremely satisfying. You know you're getting stronger and the workout will be easier next time.

Both of these feelings take a few weeks to start, you'll have to get results from your workout and then your mind and body will start rewarding you with dopamine for doing a good job. (Although some days working out still sucks ass though and is both tiring and a chore, that part doesn't go away it's just easier to ignore).

As I get older, I enjoy it more. It's a reminder that I'm not as old a bastard as I feel some days, and I know the benefits are real, noticeable, and literally life changing. And at that moment I'm the youngest I'll ever be for the rest of my life, so it's a good time to do it.

Maybe I don't love the specific moment that my muscles are on fire but perspective keeps me happy while doing it

I certainly do. Sometimes I have to get over the hump to actually GO to the gym on workout days but I've never once (well, okay, one workout I had one time after going regularly for years did leave me unsatisfied - I will admit that) finished up a workout and been like "what a goddamn waste of time and energy".

I enjoy it in that I find it helps me disconnect from work. Not even consciously, I just find after running for 40 minutes any lingering mental hangover from my office job are gone. It's similar to what happens when doing volunteering or community work.