Some thoughts on exercising when you hate it: a thread. /1

Before I start, though, a point of clarification. I am 35 years old. I have tried all sorts of things. Your routine or gear won't magically be the one thing that clicks for me. Your advice is not solicited. /2

Now then. I do not like exercise. I never have. My entire life, I have avoided getting sweaty. It makes my skin sting and burn. Being out of breath makes me feel vulnerable. It's a terrible sensory experience. I hate it all. /3

I've tried gyms, classes, and solo workouts. I've done the machines. I even bought my own elliptical. I keep taking up yoga every few years and then slowly dropping off. I've done videos at home. I've done the running thing. It all sucks. /4

The only exercise I've ever really enjoyed is wandering for hours on end through beautiful cities, but, well, that isn't really a sustainable routine, and the exercise part is really incidental to the scenery. /5

But people always said to keep looking until I found the exercise I liked and that would be the one I stuck with. It gave me an out every time I decided I didn't like whatever exercise I was doing and wanted to quit it. /6

And my whole life, I heard people saying how good it felt to work up a sweat. I was ashamed that it didn't feel good to me. /7

But the thing is, the women in my family have a nasty habit of having massive coronary events in their 50s. I can't afford to not be exercising. Gotta keep the ole ticker strong, etc. etc. /8

So couple of years ago, I finally just accepted that I don't like exercise but have to do it anyway. It was liberating. I stopped feeling like I was defective, gave up on finding the perfect workout, and just started moving. /9

It was also helpful for me to recognize that there are tons of things I don't enjoy doing, but I do them anyway because they're good for me or need to be done. You don't have to like something to do it. /10

There are tons of people who enjoy their exercise, and that's great! I'm happy for you! But I don't, and I wish that somewhere along the way, somebody had said to me, "Hey. It sucks for me, too. I go anyway. Let's go together." /11

So if you don't need to hear it, scroll on by. If you do, hear it from me: it sucks. I go anyway. Let's go together.

I'm not gonna start a hashtag or anything because that activates my perfectionism in bad ways, but! /12

If you need to workout but you don't wanna or you make it through a workout and you hated it but you survived and you want encouragement, you can @ me and I will cheer for you. 13/13