[cerol]

Just to give some context, I've been a marathon runner for 7 years. I have a PB of 3:24, and I'm training for a sub 3 hour marathon right now (logging around 70 - 120km per week). I run 6 times a week, and work out at the gym 3 times a week. I consider myself to be in my all-time peak athletic shape right now.

I don't mean to be rude, but this comes from years of people picking fights with me about exercising and easy ways to get fit.

You're looking for an easy way out. There isn't any. Or there shouldn't be. If you want to really stick to an exercising habit, you have to either do something you really love doing, or just pick something and stick to it. If there isn't some sort of physical activity you love doing and could potentially do effortlessly, you have to start from scratch.

That means putting in the work and becoming disciplined. Building a habit. Which means you have to work against yourself so you can, in the future, be in a position where exercising is at least neutral and effortless. Only then will you know whether or not you'll enjoy it. Never before that. If you have an open mind and patience, you probably will.

You could also just keep trying several other options, until you find sometimes that you seem to enjoy. But chances are you'll probably get tired of it soon.

I'd honestly advise you to work on habit building skills rather than trying to find something you'll be able to do effortlessly, just like that. If you pick something, stick to it, be patient, study it and put your mind to it, I promise you, you'll eventually start enjoying it.

[Cthulhu_]

I mean to make it practical, set 30m - 1h a day (or three days a week) aside dedicated to exercise. Block your calendar if you need to. Don't compromise, that time is an appointment, it's not flexible time.

I got in my best shape when I went for personal training. It's prohibitively expensive, but it worked for me because there was an appointment set every week and there was someone telling me what to do.

I mean if you're social, set appointments with friends to go exercise. I've had colleagues who would go play squash, go bouldering or go running once or twice a week with friends.

[tgv]

In shape or fit is several levels below what you describe. Personally, I find running a marathon near lunacy. You may like it, but it's not healthy in the long run.

[cerol]

> You may like it, but it's not healthy in the long run.

I disagree. Not all marathon runners are made equal. Talking about the long run means an extreme training routine that is consistent through a long period of time.

The vast majority of marathon runners are casual runners, rarely logging more than 40km a week. And after a while most simply stop or reduce significantly their training to casual (in terms of intensity) but consistent training.

AFAIK, most research about negative effects of marathon running is related to professional athletes, who have a career in running. Endurance athletes usually start from a very young age, and peak at around 30-40. That's 20 to 30 years of extreme training. And the key aspect here is oxidative stress, which means they are aging faster. There's also a risk that your heart will change in shape to respond to a greater demand, and that may lead to conditions such as arrythmia.

I think I can speak for most of the amateur athletes I know. We're all well aware of the risks. There's just no point in not taking them.

[giardini]

Got to agree on the lunacy. Legend has it that the first marathoner, Athenian messenger Pheidippides, died after running the 26.4 miles from Marathon to Athens and announcing the victory of the Athenian army over the Spartans at Marathon. But he had a good reason to do so.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pheidippides

Apparently he ran much farther (like 6X as far) in the time before he died:

"The Real Pheidippides Story (Runners World):

https://www.runnersworld.com/runners-stories/a20836761/the-r...