• modifier@lemmy.ca
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    3 months ago

    The worst part is, after a short while, you actually cross this sort of threshold where you enjoy it and begin to look forward to it, and then you start to notice it is helping your mental as well as your physical health.

    Just atrocious. It’s almost like we were evolved for this.

    • YtA4QCam2A9j7EfTgHrH@infosec.pub
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      3 months ago

      This has never happened to me. I still hate it and I run at least 18 miles a week for going on twenty years. I feel like shit if I don’t run, but I still hate the actual activity.

      • Vegan_Joe@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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        3 months ago

        Have you tried an activity you actually enjoy? I know that sounds a bit curt, but I gave up jogging for mountain biking and hiking, and now it is substantially easier to convince myself to get out and get started because I actually enjoy what I’m doing!

        That shouldn’t have been as revelatory for me as it was, but the current paradigm is that jogging, gym time, or other monotonous activities are what we should be doing, and that really just sucks the joy out of physical activity.

        • the post of tom joad@sh.itjust.works
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          3 months ago

          I like to think of it as a reverse hangover. Instead of a few hours of fun and a day of pain, i do a hangover on purpose for a few hours and get a whole day buzz.

          It helps cuz i too like most people (?) hate exercise

      • Kecessa@sh.itjust.works
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        3 months ago

        Just do something you actually enjoy instead? Fucking hell people are ridiculous, there’s so many options to exercise, find the ones you actually enjoy!

          • Kecessa@sh.itjust.works
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            3 months ago

            There’s a whole lot of stuff that people consider to be activities that are a perfect replacement for what the same people consider to be exercise, they’ll love the former and hate the latter without realizing that if they just did the former often enough they wouldn’t feel the need to do the latter at all.

            I used to run a ton, got a smallish dog and now I go on walks and hikes instead, most people only consider that running is exercising of those three things but all of them are a form of exercising.

            I’ve always hated team sports but I love climbing, kayaking, canoeing, snowshoeing… should I force myself to do team sports because that’s what people think about when they think about sports or should I be doing the stuff I actually find enjoyable?

            The goal is just for people to move.

            • YtA4QCam2A9j7EfTgHrH@infosec.pub
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              3 months ago

              I’m the guy that originally responded saying that I dislike running even though I’ve been doing it religiously for a long time.

              All your suggestions are wonderful here. I will get right on kayaking, hiking, and the like as soon as my wife miraculously is cured and I have free time to do all this stuff that someone with a good life can do. Otherwise, I will continue to do what I can (running at 5:30am before my wife wakes up) because my wife needs me all the time when she is awake because she is in hellish pain.

              Please stop being a jackass to people. There is another person in this thread that did this the right way. Gently suggesting an alternative and not assuming they knew best. It would behoove you to understand that your particular situation isn’t universal and other people have different wants, needs, and responsibilities than you.

      • Mac@mander.xyz
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        3 months ago

        it’s crazy to me that there are people out there that are able to do things they don’t enjoy doing by their own willpower just because it’s good for them and I can’t even get myself to do the things I enjoy doing.

        • YtA4QCam2A9j7EfTgHrH@infosec.pub
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          3 months ago

          I’m about to go on my 6 mile mile run and it is five thirty in the morning here.

          I think the key for me is to just make the connection that the pain of not running (for me, the discomfort of my breathing being slightly worse when I’m really out of shape and just general feeling of shittiness) is worse than the activity itself. I also add treats to my run when I’m getting back into the habit. Fun size candy bars and the like. I also reserve my favorite podcasts for my run. I’m about to listen to behind the bastards which is always a good time.

      • captainlezbian@lemmy.world
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        3 months ago

        I think that’s the most common experience. For years I hated exercising almost as much as I hated not having exercised

    • the_doktor@lemmy.zip
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      3 months ago

      Even when I was young and healthy, I never looked forward to exercise and it never improved my mental health, even when people insisted that I do it all the time. I would always feel in a mental fog for the rest of the day after exercise. Any day without exercise and I was (and still am) very sharp mentally.

    • MaliciousKebab@sh.itjust.works
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      3 months ago

      I love walking, my family has a farm and I grew up there playing walking and doing just the usual villager kid stuff. 20 years later and I love walking. I almost always walk on the way to home from work after taking the train (about 2.5 km) my friends call me crazy but it just feels good to walk and get lost in music and thoughts for half an hour or so everyday.

    • greedytacothief@lemmy.world
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      3 months ago

      And then you get to the weird addiction space where I feel guilty if I haven’t gone for a run in 2 days. Humans are weird.

  • Transporter Room 3@startrek.website
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    3 months ago

    Man, seeing a ton of people all experiencing great returns on their hard work just makes me feel even worse for never experiencing any of it beyond the weight loss itself. For literal years. No good feelings, no endorphins, even some of my joints felt worse simply because they were being used more.

    And now the exact same thing two days in a row!

    Its great. I’m fine. This is fine. I’m not jealous or spiteful at all. Have fun working out for me I guess.

    • Semi-Hemi-Lemmygod@lemmy.world
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      3 months ago

      The only time I’ve ever felt the “runner’s high” they keep talking about was in the mosh pit at a concert, and I think the music and crowd did more for it than the activity.

      Sadly, the local YMCA doesn’t have mosh sessions available.

    • Kecessa@sh.itjust.works
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      3 months ago

      Just find a form of exercise that you actually enjoy, running and going to the gym aren’t the only options…

        • shalafi@lemmy.world
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          3 months ago

          I loathe exercise for it’s own sake. I kayak the creeks and swamps, canoe the rivers, build stuff at my camp, hike around the woods, all that. The things I see and experience and create are the reward.

          And by the way, saw a family of 5 teenybopper armadillos foraging last week! They weren’t babies and there wasn’t an adult around, guess they were siblings. It was hot as hell, but there was a cold creek to swim in at the end of the trail. Lifting weights and yoga won’t get you that kind of experience.

          • tburkhol@lemmy.world
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            3 months ago

            Fun fact: armadillos are all born as identical quadruplets. If you saw 5, then one was either a parent or adopted.

        • tburkhol@lemmy.world
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          3 months ago

          Maybe you can find a way to couple activity to something else that you do want to do. Exercise for its own sake is tough for me, but I don’t mind walking 15 minutes to get lunch, and then, obviously, 15 minutes back. The meme’s message is that you don’t need to sweat, get out of breath, or get swole to have meaningful physical activity.

      • afox@lemmy.world
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        3 months ago

        Wonder if it’s a hunter gatherer type thing. Like F yeah get out there vs I just want to pick berries.

    • lightnsfw@reddthat.com
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      3 months ago

      I started weight lifting and intermittently doing cardio (intermittently because it’s boring and I hate it). It fixed basically all the random aches and pain shit I was having but I also never got any endorphins out of it. I look good naked though so there’s that.

      • OpenPassageways@lemmy.zip
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        3 months ago

        I’ve been doing P90X because I like lifting and hate cardio. I like the structure a lot because there’s a ton of lifting but there’s also a pliometrics day and a kenpi day for cardio that isn’t boring.

    • grrgyle@slrpnk.net
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      3 months ago

      Damn that sucks. For me it was pretty subtle. Like I would tell myself “well at least my body feels pretty good” even though the rest of me wasn’t. And then I started to notice that I wasn’t feeling as bad as I normally was.

      And then I have had some slices of actually feeling good after 30-60 minutes intense cardio + rajma masala on rice, but maybe I just got lucky.

      Definitely feeling more sore in my joints though. Stretching and limiting workouts to 2-3 times a week helps some with aches and pains in my experience.

      How long have you been at it? It took me a few months before it started to even feel like a habit I could keep up

      EDIT: oh you said years. Dannng, have you tried switching it up? Maybe talk to a doctor?

    • stoneparchment@possumpat.io
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      3 months ago

      Whack. The only thing I can think of is if your base activity level has never been low enough in that several year period, you might not know what it feels like to be completely sedentary by comparison?

    • Ibaudia@lemmy.world
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      3 months ago

      When I work out all the blood leaves my brain, it’s a medical thing my family has. I stay thin by just eating very little.

    • sramder@lemmy.world
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      3 months ago

      Yeah… this shit’s killing me. If walking improves your “chronic pain” you were just lazy and out of shape 🤣

      • Transporter Room 3@startrek.website
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        3 months ago

        It didn’t help ME with chronic pain, but it does help my wife with her fibromyalgia.

        I’d wager if you are up in weight, and chronic pain is in any of your weight supporting areas (hips, knees, ankles, lower back, etc) then chances are your pain could be weight related.

        My parents are 100% weight related issues, and when I was trying to lose weight in 2013-2015 I tried to get them to do light stuff with me. Walk around the trees behind the house a few times. A couple light calisthenics. Ride some shitty cheap bikes around the park.

        Since then their knees, hips, and ankles are their biggest complaints.

        • sramder@lemmy.world
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          3 months ago

          It’s nice to know a bit of light exercise is beneficial for some folks. I suppose my definition of chronic pain is probably a bit limited.

  • jubilationtcornpone@sh.itjust.works
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    3 months ago

    A few years ago I went from 265 lbs to 195. I was amazed at how much better I felt overall.

    Unfortunately, I have a relationship with sweets that is very similar to Charlie Sheen’s relationship with cocaine. I haven’t gained all that weight back but I have gained back some of it.

    Getting the motivation and self control to eat right is incredibly hard work.

    • tissek@ttrpg.network
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      3 months ago

      Damn I’m feeling you. I’m in the fall process (solidly down 15kg/33lb, approaching 20kg/44lb) with about 10-15kg to go. When my belly stops flapping I’m good I think. But I fear the rebound… Currently lots of my evening snacking have disappeared because of evening gym classes, so late home and even later dinner. So I don’t have time anymore to get snacky. Or if I do it’s almost bedtime anyway so I’ll just go to bed instead.

      But once I’ve hit my goal and don’t need to hit gym that hard anymore… That frightens me. A little bit at least. Made some good connections there and got a routine going so i can probably keep it up.

      • grrgyle@slrpnk.net
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        3 months ago

        I personally disregard weight goals because I find it can be discouraging to feel objectively better, but then the number on the scale says you’re no different. So I just walk by the scale now.

        Anyway, but that’s me. For snacking, I find drinking a lot of water after meals, and having healthy snacks that I like (chopped carrots, mixed nuts, chia seed pudding, really dark chocolate, etc) helps.

        Also I personally don’t believe in “cheat days” but I like allowing myself to enjoy some junk socially. Like we have a local doughnut+coffee shop nearby, and my buddy and I will usually meet there on our dates. It’s fun, it’s local. I don’t feel bad about it.

        Hopefully there’s a helpful tidbit in here and I didn’t come off as preachy!

        • shalafi@lemmy.world
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          3 months ago

          Numbers fuck people up. You make a goal to lose 100, finally see the scale tick down by 2, “Damn! 1/50th of the way?!”

      • grue@lemmy.world
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        3 months ago

        But once I’ve hit my goal and don’t need to hit gym that hard anymore… That frightens me.

        I’m pretty sure the notion of not needing to exercise as much after you’ve hit your goal is a misconception to begin with, if it makes you feel any better.

        • grrgyle@slrpnk.net
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          3 months ago

          Yeah you just keep setting goals and pushing until you’re at your physical limit, then just maintain, forever.

  • captainlezbian@lemmy.world
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    3 months ago

    Yeah I hated the process of becoming one of the exercise people, but it really is the lowest effort to increase in happiness activity I’ve added to my life

  • 58008@lemmy.world
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    3 months ago

    If you hate exercising, there are other ways to get it “for free” that don’t involve tediously lifting and dropping weights over and over, etc. For example, play ball games with friends. Take up climbing (indoor or outdoor!). Rekindle your love of cycling around town on a bike. Paintball with friends. Take up a martial art. Pretty much anything that has movement as a side effect, rather than it being the ‘main event’.

    Running on a treadmill is fucking awful to me, I hate it so much. But running as a consequence of playing a sport or moving around a boxing ring or whatever, that’s different. I don’t hate running per se, but on its own? I’d rather take the L and die years earlier than I should. Seriously. Gyms and gym equipment make me want to fling myself under a passing bus.

    • sugar_in_your_tea@sh.itjust.works
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      3 months ago

      I don’t really like cycling, but I’ve found I dislike driving more, so replacing car trips w/ bike trips has worked really well. I get exercise, save money, I get better parking spots, and I’m not stuck in a stupid car. Oh, and I’m quite competitive, so I like to see how quickly I can get from A to B, so my heartrate stays high.

      I also have gymnastic rings in my garage for my upper body. I’m not a fan of that either, but it at least feels cooler than lifting weights. So I’ll alternate between doing errands on my bike and using the gymnastic rings.

    • bss03@infosec.pub
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      3 months ago

      I’m the opposite. Never much liked sports, and when I am not held to a pace like a treadmill does, I’ll not maintain enough heart rate elevation.

      So, for me, if I don’t get to the gym a couple of times a week, I fall well short of the NIH guidelines.

      The full report is quite clear that heart rate elevation is the most significant population-wide contributor.to general health. 150 “points” per week, which you can in theory knock out with one long (~75 minutes) high-intensity work out.

      Resistance training across all major muscle groups is secondary, and really only needs one set, on two separate days each week. Your don’t need to build bulk or anything, just keep then fully active. Add some weight if you could do an extra set before exhaustion.

      Stretching is good, in particular if you don’t reach a range of motion, you are likely to lose it as you age, but no specific recommendations are given

    • boogetyboo@aussie.zone
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      3 months ago

      Gym allows me to safely play sports, run around after the dog, swim without feeling like drowning is inevitable etc

      I’m not a gym nut by any stretch of the imagination but as I approach middle age I can’t be as spontaneous with breaking into a run or lifting heavy things. Too many injuries and anatomical idiosyncracies have built up over the years.

      The gym maintains all my muscles so I can use them when I want without injury. It’s made a big difference going about 2-3 times a week for 45 min. Then I can do all the stuff I enjoy (mostly all outdoors) without worrying about a tweak or a joint blow out.

  • jet@hackertalks.com
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    3 months ago

    Can confirm. Health nuts dont seem so nutty anymore.

    And then after some time, you come to expect your body to feel sore, and when your body doesn’t feel sore that feels weird. So you do exercise for no other reason than to feel sore again…

  • jjjalljs@ttrpg.network
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    3 months ago

    One of the many reasons I value living in a walkable city. I don’t have to go out of my way to walk. It’s just a part of daily life.

    • Hannes@feddit.org
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      3 months ago

      I biked to work every day as my only regular exercise and was relatively happy with my body and endurance - COVID taking that away by turning my job remote only really showed me how important that daily activity is - first time in my life signed up for a fitness studio after those could open again.

      • HowManyNimons@lemmy.world
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        3 months ago

        For me it’s the time. It takes me from 7am to 9pm to get my hours done at work, do the school run and get the kid fedded and bedded. I’m doing all the hacks I can: cycling during lunch and in the weekend, as much as possible, but it’s not adding up to enough. You just get a good routine going and then they throw in a school holiday to wreck everything up.

    • I_Has_A_Hat@lemmy.world
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      3 months ago

      Yep, I get no positive feelings from exercise. I do it to keep my blood pressure down and I fucking hate it. People say after a while it begins to feel good and you look forward to it and I want to punch all those people in the face. I started about 4 months ago and I’ve hated every day I’ve gone.

      Exercise fucking sucks. I get hot and sweaty and feel like shit afterwards. The only positive emotion is a vague sense of relief that it’s over when I’m finished.

      “Jogging is the worst. I mean, I know it keeps you healthy; but God, at what cost?” -Ann Perkins

      • sugar_in_your_tea@sh.itjust.works
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        3 months ago

        Well, there are a lot of exercise options, surely you haven’t tried them all…

        For example, I like riding my bike to do errands. Not only do I get exercise, but I also save some money, cross off items from my list, and feel hardcore. I don’t actually like cycling, but I hate driving more, so being able to get my exercise and avoid driving while doing errands feels like cheating.

      • 🧟‍♂️ Cadaver@lemmy.world
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        3 months ago

        This is my take on your comment but going to the gym and doing exercises does the same for me. I did it, I knew why I did it but I fucking hated every second of it and didn’t get any high.

        On the other hand, even middle level exercises in rugby or cycling gets me that high, fucking love it. It doesn’t even matter if I’m good at it or not.

        Sometimes, it’s more about the sport than the exercise.

      • barsoap@lemm.ee
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        3 months ago

        I get hot and sweaty and feel like shit afterwards.

        Have you tried swimming? Hot and sweaty definitely won’t be a problem there.

        For the record though I also hate cardio. It’s fine at levels which I can sustain for hours on end, that is, not jogging pace, definitely not interval training, but hiking pace. If you want interval training without grinding your brain field sports might be an option, it’s different when you have teammates and a ball.

      • Jiggle_Physics@lemmy.world
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        3 months ago

        I had the same problem. Then, I was prescribed a medication used to increase dopamine, and adrenaline, production, and now it does.

        Not saying this is some trick to make exercise suddenly release a bunch of endorphins, but it very much did that for me, and when I told my doctor about it, she said that was something that commonly reported. It has even been looked into as a performance enhancing drug, by a number of sports regulation organizations.

      • BirdyBoogleBop@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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        3 months ago

        I felt good once when I found out I could leg press the full stack of plates, but that was like a year into exercising regularly.

        Only thing that actually changed is that I don’t absolutely hate it anymore I just dislike it now.

          • barsoap@lemm.ee
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            The core is connected up quite intimately to the whole digestive system and when nerves reorganise there it can get funky indeed.

            That said, try hanging. Not necessarily pull-ups… though while you’re at it might as well do some negatives at least: jump up, let yourself down as slowly as possible until you get that rotation in the shoulder and then you are hanging properly. Then stay there, move your legs, explore the load shifts, such stuff. That’s going to tickle nerves that you might never have tickled before, but which need occasional tickling or your whole back gets confused because we happen to be monkeys and hanging from stuff is in our biomechanics, the nervous system expects those kinds of loads. Generally works miracles when it comes to back issues, and core issues are often just reflections of that.

      • TheFinn@discuss.tchncs.de
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        3 months ago

        I never got a runners high before 10k or so. But even then it’s not a “high” it’s a strong feeling of well being and the sense that I could keep going indefinitely.

        Now that I don’t jog so much the mood improvement I get from regular exercise is even more subtle, but I still feel it’s significant.

      • bamfic@lemmy.world
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        3 months ago

        “I don’t believe in running unless something awful is chasing me.” – Buck Henry

      • gmtom@lemmy.world
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        3 months ago

        I used to be like this, then I found a competetive sport I really like and now get that feeling after a game. It’s also way more social than just running around aimlessly by yourself. So

    • Skullgrid@lemmy.world
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      The thing to adapt to with this information is goal maintainence, and improvement tracking.

      I HATE exercise, PLUS the humilation aspect that got pushed into me growing up as a fat kid.

      The thing that gives one good feelings for me, isn’t the exercise, it’s the improvement that gives/gave me pride.

      Instead of group exercise, I started doing bouldering. Going up the difficulty levels, being able to literally get over obstacles made me feel proud of my achievements.

      Try tracking progress. it could help give you pride and self esteem.

  • grumpo_potamus@lemmy.world
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    3 months ago

    Started walking 10k steps a day after seeing myself in pictures and hating how I looked. I’d been fairly active in the past, but some injuries sidelined me. I found getting out and walking was much better for my mental health and creativity than staring at a screen. Embraced the zen of walking when it was cold or rainy out - I’m lucky to often see animals around me that I know most people near me are never seeing. Now instead of dreading exercise, I have the opposite problem of getting restless and pissy if I don’t get my walking or biking in.

  • Sam_Bass@lemmy.world
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    3 months ago

    Imho, anything you can do to increase overall bloodflow is beneficial to your entire system. One of the reasons caffeine makes us feel good is the increased bloodflow. If that can be increased without drugs, youre one up on the masses. Enjoy it dont hate it

  • HornedMeatBeast@lemmy.world
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    3 months ago

    Audiobooks.

    Listen to an audiobook and just walk, it does depend where you live though. I’m lucky there are a lot of trails and paths around my town.

    I walk about 5km every day, done so for more than 2 years now and listening to audiobooks helps the time pass quite quickly.

    What also helps a lot is doing some pushups at home as well, for a few months I did 100 pushups throughout the day and it really makes a difference.

    • grrgyle@slrpnk.net
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      This is the advice (audiobook) I heard way back and it worked for me. Specifically, I listen to podcasts, but only when I’m working out or comminuting to the workout.

      Eventually you get invested in whatever you’re listening to and want to just listen to it, but the workout limitation means you have to make time for exercise before you get your fix.

      • HornedMeatBeast@lemmy.world
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        I try not to listen to audiobooks unless I am walking/shopping just so they last longer.

        It’s a bit difficult for me to find something I want to listen to, I like a very specific type of writing and I seem to stick to it and look for similar.

        I mostly listen to Terry Pratchett’s books and at this stage I have listened to most of them a few times.

        • grrgyle@slrpnk.net
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          3 months ago

          Pratchett is evergreen. I’ve looped the Discworld series a couple times now. Nothing wrong with just listening to them on repeat.

          I’d recommend YA fantasy for similar vibes, though they’ll never be anything exactly like Pratchett’s writing. I just recently got into A Wizard of Earthsea by Le Guin, and it left me feeling really good.

  • N0body@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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    3 months ago

    For hundreds of thousands of years, we spent 2 or 3 hours a day hunting and gathering, then chilled out and had fun the rest of the time. That’s what our bodies are designed for.

    • wizardbeard@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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      3 months ago

      Those numbers are off, and there’s some studies showing that what people simplify to “chilling out” was also work, just done in groups back at the settlement. For example, preparing the animal you caught for eating, using the tools of the era, takes time. Unfortunately there are a lot of people understanding only the bare bones cliffnotes of historic life, then using it as fuel for their (justified but somewhat misinformed) campaign against the workload expected of us in modern life.

      That said, the general take away is correct: humans used to be far more active in the completion of their daily duties.

    • Agent641@lemmy.world
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      3 months ago

      Back when we lived to the ripe old age of 38.

      (Im kidding, I know that was mostly due to infection and whatnot)

      • snooggums@midwest.social
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        3 months ago

        The ‘age of 38’ thing isn’t even due to infection ir disease, or even a thing at all. 38 was the average between the high number of infant deaths and the normal lifespan of someone who didn’t.

        Ok, women giving birth skewed it a bit too. Men didn’t die in battle as much as people think, since most battles were decided when a small portion of the losing side died and the rest fled.

        • MBM@lemmings.world
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          3 months ago

          Do we have numbers for the hunter-gatherer time that can even be skewed by infant deaths?

          Edit: as it turns out, yes, absolutely. Wikipedia says the lifespan is around 21-37 years but 57% died before 15 and 64% of those that don’t would also reach 45.

          • snooggums@midwest.social
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            3 months ago

            Yeah, mid twenties to mid thirties tends to be the peak of human health and physcial fitness which would be true no matter what conditions are, so it would make sense that disease, accidents, and other trauma would be far less fatal during those ages.

  • Noobnarski@lemmy.world
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    3 months ago

    To the people who dont feel better after excercise, maybe you just haven’t found a sport or excercise that you like?

    For me it is biking but yours could be different.

    • ChickenLadyLovesLife@lemmy.world
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      3 months ago

      People who try to start an exercise activity very commonly do too much their first time(s) at it, and end up injuring themselves or hurting too much which makes it hard to continue and even harder to start doing it again after they inevitably quit. The best thing to do is to start with something absurdly small - like biking a half-mile, walking (or running) 200 feet, or driving to the gym and then driving home without even going inside - and then very gradually ramp things up. The most important thing is to establish exercising as a regular habit, and then worry about turning it into actual physically effective exercise later on.

    • bss03@infosec.pub
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      3 months ago

      I dislike exercising, I often have to “parent” myself into starting, I have to fight the urge to stop several times during a session, and I almost always feel worse immediately after. Sore, tired, sweaty, or various other uncomfortableness, and I haven’t found a recovery activity that erases that temporary badness.

      But, my life when I’m not exercising has gotten better, and it’s at least partially due to the exercise.

      • sugar_in_your_tea@sh.itjust.works
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        3 months ago

        Well, maybe try something else. For example:

        • swimming - can’t be sweaty of you’re surrounded by water
        • cycling - do errands on your bike; you’ll still be tired and sweaty, but at least you also got groceries
        • hiking - see nature and get the exercise for free
        • bss03@infosec.pub
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          3 months ago

          I have tried swimming and hiking, and while I can enjoy doing those activities, I fail to maintain an elevated heart rate if I’m enjoying them.

          I live in a rural area, the Grocery store I use is 15+ miles up a US Hwy.with narrow/shoulders in places. I can’t do errands on a bike. I haven’t actually been on a normal bike in years, but on the stationary bikes at the gym, it’s another scenario where I won’t maintain my heart rate.

          • sugar_in_your_tea@sh.itjust.works
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            3 months ago

            What about a local library? Fruit vendor?

            I’m in a suburban/semi-rural area (some farms, and lots of single family homes), so I’m spoiled for choice, but anything that’s within about 5 miles is perfect for running errands on a bicycle.

            As for elevated heart rate, I guess that comes down to personality. I’m very competitive, so I like to see how fast I can do things, and very much dislike doing anything slowly. When I hike, I pass other hikers; when I cycle, I set time goals; when I swim, I try to increase the number of laps; when I lift weights, I try to increase weight or reps (I target 5-10 reps with “one in the tank”). If you’re not competitive, I can see how motivating yourself could be difficult though.

            • bss03@infosec.pub
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              3 months ago

              There are places I could get to on a bike, but none that are currently in my routine errands. I suppose I could hit the post office on the bike.

              I set time goals for my 5k treadmill sessions, but I only meet then by converting over to a pace and setting the treadmill there. I continue to increase my weights, too, though I generally don’t go up until I can do an “extra” set.

              I get close to the NIH recommendations and I keep pushing myself to be better, and I still dislike exercising. It’s just non-optional maintenance for this shell until I can shed it.

              • sugar_in_your_tea@sh.itjust.works
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                3 months ago

                Exercise for its own sake sucks, which is why I like replacing other things I need to do anyway with something that includes exercise. When I lift weights, I listen to podcasts or audiobooks between sets, and when I was in school, I would do pushups or situps as a study break. My first job was about 10 miles from home, so I would ride my bike 2-3x/week (we had a shower), which would take 35-45min, which was about twice what driving would take, but I’d get home and have already gotten my exercise for the day.

                I honestly can’t just do exercise for its own sake, it needs to be accompanied by some other activity I enjoy or need to do.

                • bss03@infosec.pub
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                  3 months ago

                  Podcasts or music are not essential to my gym experience, but they are important. My pace on the treadmill certainly suffers if I forgot my headphones.

                  A few weeks ago some “commedian” decided he needed to get my attention (pause playback, turn off noice cancelling, “yes?”) twice for idiotidic jokes like “When are you going to be done with that machine, because there aren’t any others: gestures to empty gym with only He and I”.

                  He did pay me an appreciated comment during one of those interruptions, but overall his behavior was grating and made the session worse than average.

                  I haven’t yet found a combination activity where I still feel like I’m getting sufficient exercise. I think combination activities work better for many people and you gotta find a way that exercise works for you, or you really won’t get enough.

    • Rin@lemm.ee
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      3 months ago

      I’m not sure why but I find pretty much all excercise mind numbingly boring. I found that walking my dog in the park is a lot more stimulating mentally because you gotta look out for your little critter and she always does interesting things. The only thing is she gets cold easily so I can only walk her properly in the summer…

      Dog tax: https://imgur.com/a/rEII2ih