Asklemmy

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

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 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 contact is kind of a meditation to me.

I lift weights a few days in the week and it's just routine now. I don't find working out to be fun, but seeing friends at the gym and and chatting is fun.

I love lifting weight. I squat three to four times a week and I love going heavy. I also love bench and deadlifts also. Seeing my body get stronger is also rewarding, and just being physically capable is a great bonus. Helps counter act my sitting!

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 :/

It’s a few things. It’s the positive feedback loop of seeing and feeling yourself get bigger and stronger. It’s the rush of good chemicals/hormones/whatever the body releases. It’s the feeling/thought that there is nothing you could be doing that could be more beneficial for your health, and knowing the knock-on effects that has for you long term. Its the pump.

I'm not a massive fan of cario at the gym the staying in one place and doing all that work, but cario outside like a good hike, bike ride love it especially when there isa goal to see something.

I prefer and love lifting weights something about the feeling of picking up 100kgs and putting it down again feels so good, especially when i have a good playlist.

I have found it get more socal as well and scratches that itch in my hermit brain as you talk to other people who are also there and get to motivate and enjoy when they hit pbs.

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.

Number go up, weight get heavier, me happy.

I've tried for years to go to the gym regularly. I despise going to the gym. Putting on workout clothes, mindlessly trudging on a treadmill or whatnot before slogging through a bunch of machines then shower and going home. I loathe the idea of sacrificing 1+ hour of my precious free time just to feel miserable and accomplishing fuck all... Everyone claiming "just stick with it and you'll start to enjoy it" lies. There's no other way to say this. Lies. If you love it, good for you, but it definitely isn't a universal thing.

Walks around town I do kinda enjoy but not enough to make me want to do it. But point me someplace new or nice to hike and I'm off to the races. I love being out in nature, taking in the sights and I don't care whatsoever if I need to work for it.

The last few weeks I've also started to go swimming with my girlfriend. I've not been a fan of swimming as a child and basically never did it anymore since then. So I'm pathetic at it but to my huge surprise I do quite like it.

So my recommendation to you is: try loads of different things. Chances are you'll like doing certain things way more than others. Ideally you'll find something you love. Or at least you should be able to find something you don't hate.

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 hate cardio, so that's what I do. Weird thing, but I figured if I hate something it's the thing I need to work on. Besides, it seems like cardio is the thing that helps you lose weight the fastest.

I have recently started to enjoy taking bike rides. I used to do it before with friends and didn't mind it but it was not super enjoyable. It likely had to do work the fact that they would always do 40 mile bike rides that had a decent amount of hills. None of us have time for bike rides that long anymore. But a nice 10 mile bike ride is a nice but of time to just clear my head and enjoy looking one way and seeing the Cascades and looking the other way and seeing the Sound and the Olympics.

I have heard of runner's high and read a good explanation for it that I don't remember. Regardless, I don't get runner's high and honestly hate running. Even with a podcast in, I can't get myself to like it. It might be a bit better if I did it more often but that is a big hump to get past.

I've always found myself having trouble getting to work out if I didn't have some sort of tangible goal to achieve in the process. Like with walking, I need a destination to reach, like maybe going to pick up lunch or groceries. Same for other forms of body work outs, I've found vr games can be handy for giving me something to get lost in while still working out, like this one squatting game called hotsquats, or some of those rhythm games

Just doing a treadmill while staring at a tv doesn't keep my brain as engaged.

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.

It’s more the feeling of satisfaction and less a feeling of pleasure.

Working out is not a pleasurable thing, it’s hard, tiring, and painful.

But you see positive changes in your body, you feel better day to day and you know you are adding years on to your life.

This is what makes it enjoyable. But it will not be like this on day one. It will be like this maybe after 2-4 weeks of doing it consistently.

Also you have to eat right. If your just eating junk you may not feel as good.

No, I hate it. I listen to podcasts while working out. It's the only thing that makes it bearable.

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.

I feel that it depends on what you’re trying to get from it. Something like weights and bodybuilding is a very visually rewarding experience where you see the work you’ve put in within weeks. Whereas something like weight loss would be less about the gym and more about diet. You’re always better off skipping a meal than trying to work it off.

I formed positive associations with working out from what I saw happening and then from there I worked on my diet in conjunction with maintaining my workout. Together the overall impact was very rewarding and that kept me going back to the gym.

I also believe that just going to the gym everyday as a routine is good. Once you get there you’ll find something to do for an hour. Just move your body and see what you enjoy but it’s important to form that positive association with working out.

I’ve read other people positing and I think underneath everything they’re saying it’s that they connected the results with the action and that kept them on track. Whether it’s with a friend or a partner or with your podcast. My friend only watches his favorite show while on the treadmill. That’s how he keeps himself going and looks forward to doing a workout because of it.

I get the natural endorphins "runner's high." Music sound beautiful and all is well. And the cardiovascular exercise is good for me.

I see lots of comments about knee injuries, but I can't respond!! I feel you all.

I tore my PCL and slowly worked my way back up from post surgery to running. Slowly! Lots of walking. I'm talking years unfortunately. It took me a while to work on injury-compensating muscle building, but for me, the key was to not rush it! Cycling never helped personally...

If you get bored walking, I recommend podcasts... There's so much good and free content out there.

I hate exercise for the sake of it. I'd gladly ride my bike all day, but put me on an exercise bike for ten minutes and I'm bored out of my skull.

Unrelated: I'm really fat.

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 really enjoy it when I have something I'm aiming for. The accomplishment of hitting a new PR (1 rep max of otherwise) gives me a major dopamine hit. It's going to be different for everyone though, I dispise cardio even though I do it for example. I usually have to trick myself to enjoy it like turning on a TV show or podcast or audiobook I'm really interested in. Recently the Pre-work out Ive been using has had a major positive impact in my mood as well. Not just because of the addition energy but I almost feel euphoric during my whole session.

Gyms are weird. However, trail running in my favorite park til I feel like I might go into cardiac arrest is great!. Plenty of distracting wildlife, no cars. Pushing past that feeling of "I'm gonna die" as I pass the muscular heavy lifters.

What can you do to cultivate this? Uhh...hate yourself and love the outdoors? But in a "guess I'll floss cause it hurts" kinda self loathing.

Yes! I love it. It's almost a meditative experience for me, kind of like when you're in the shower alone with your thoughts. Also, since I've been regularly working out for a couple of years now, I'm at a point where if I don't work out, then I start feeling like shit.

Is there anything the rest of us can do to cultivate such a mindset?

Idk, but I definitely did not like it at the start. I just sucked it up and pushed through, making sure I did it on a regular basis. Eventually, it stopped feeling like a chore and started feeling like a part of my routine, like brushing my teeth in the morning or showering in the evening.

I enjoy it but different people prefer different types of exercise and sometimes try the wrong one for them then give up. Some people really do love cardio, some feel amazing when they lift weights and get stronger, some prefer a group class or sport. If you're doing something solo though I HIGHLY recommend adding in music or an audiobook or podcast, especially if you're feeling like it isn't for you. That can help if you're getting bored. Then, switch it up. If you didn't like the elliptical, try a weight lifting session. If the weights weren't your cup of tea, try a yoga class or a free yoga video if you just want to try it at home without so much expense and commitment.

It depends on the exercise for me. Weights/ strength training I struggle to enjoy but going for a run is my jam. It can get pretty rough on the longer runs but every time when I finish and catch my breath I generally feel a lot happier about myself and find dealing with life a lot easier.

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

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

I like to go fast :)

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.

For me Brazilian jiu Jitsu got me in great shape and the grind of it helped me get into hard workouts too. I don’t enjoy lifting or doing cardio but I love the after reward. Jiu jitsu definitely helped me know I could push past what I thought was a limit.

I love it, I listen to music and it's like meditation. The pain of muscle fatigue for me feels good and bad at the same time.

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I cycle for adventure and experience, it's also why I prefer gravel and offroad cycling to road. That gravel crunch in the forest, smell of the trees, sound of birds and absolutely no traffic is pure bliss. Ok sure there is some suffering during climbs, but the feeling of accomplishment when you finally get on top and the descent that follow are worth it.

I join one gravel competition a year, but I go for the event, not to actually compete. I like riding with one friend, on paths where we can ride side by side and chat, and I don't see a point in group road rides where you just stare at the butt of the rider in front of you the entire ride.

In general I experience joy the entire bike ride, it's like my therapy, a couple of hours without a phone, outside, just me and silence. I guess the fitness that comes with it is good too.

I enjoy lifting, especially very heavy weights that are near a single weight. I also enjoy a lot of the Crossfit type of workouts that we do. It's just me against the old me mentally. I'm doing shit in my late 40s that I couldn't imagine doing when I was 20.

Most days it just has me in a good mental state where I'm enjoying life and pushing myself. There's just something to enjoy about doing things that you think you can't

Cycling, definitely. It's just fun to do.

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.

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

Lifting weights is fun and feels pleasurable. Cardio feels like I'm trying to get somewhere but I'll never arrive. It's frustrating. I think it's because I have ADHD and, well, most monotonous activities are hella hard to keep up for any period of time. Doesn't help that I've been off my meds for a year since developing high blood pressure.

For cardio, I've tried different things to trick myself into doing it. Some worked better than others. I used to do long and hard warmups before lifting weights. Of course it had a negative effect on the weightlifting itself, but it was good for my health. To increase effort, I just added 5 minutes each session. Started off cycling 15 minutes at a leisurely pace on the stationary bike, and towards the end I was doing 45 at a much harder pace. Watching the average power climb up each week was fun, it was like a game to me. And the weightlifting at the end of it was the reward to make my monkeybrain accept the annoyance that is cardio.

Of course, then I had surgery (nothing major, a scheduled quality of life surgery, septoplasty to be specific, but I was told to lay off any exercise for 2+ weeks) and then a month later I injured myself. So now it's been over a year again. Not because my injury was very serious, but because it's incredibly hard to start, maintain, or re-start healthy habits with ADHD. Incredibly easy to start, maintain and re-start bad ones though -.-

Another thing is, pick a podcast (preferably something funny or informative, not depressing), put it on, and go on a walk. Not the same as running, but on a physical activity for your health scale, if being sedentary is 0% and running is 100%, walking is at least 80% if you ask me. Way closer to running than to doing nothing.

I understand the last bit is difficult for people living in unwalkable cities, but for those who can do it, it feels way better than most other forms of exercise, because you're getting dosed with happy hormones while you're walking thanks to the podcast.

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.

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).

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 enjoy reformers pilates a lot, but that's because of the deep stretching worked into the routine. It's a game changer. If I could, I'd be doing it every day.

I fucking hate cardio with the passion of 190 million burning suns. However, I have experienced a runners high before. You get a bit lightheaded and dizzy, but not so much that you pass out. It just feels good. However, not good enough to get me up off my ass and do it, lol.