[satokema]

I walk to the store when it's reasonable. I wasn't top tier at it, but the most exercise I could tolerate was playing DDR, because there was a game to it that isn't just physical activity.

These kinds of articles are always annoying because it invites a certain kind of person who will gush unendingly about how great exerting yourself is.

For me, exerting myself sucks, it is only something I want to do when it's attached to a game I want to play (and even that gets stale). It's only ever something I am either forcing myself to do (yuck) or doing for something besides the physical aspect of it (saving gas, playing a video game).

But instead of health advice being tailored to someone with my neurological makeup that causes this dislike of useless exertion, I'm just told that I need to "meditate" more or do yoga/X. If anything, meditation makes my body seem less like "me".

Just to add my contrarian two cents to a comment section that is otherwise mostly the former.

[hombre_fatal]

Meh, exercise is up to you to do it. Once convinced that there are benefits, I don’t know what other message you need beyond finding something that works for you.

This complaint reminds me of someone digging into a bowl of ice cream and going “still waiting for someone to convince me to eat healthy on MY terms.”

Your comment is contrarian since you presumably agree that there are benefits of exercise. Maybe you’re trying to convince yourself that your level or exertion is enough?

[greycol]

I mean that's one of the reasons keto is so popular. For a lot of people they manage to lose weight while being able to enjoy what they eat while they'd have trouble sticking to better diets. There's obviously draw backs and if they eat only bacon a keto diet isn't going to help them but if they do keto "right" it's an improvement for them.

Giving alternatives to marginally improve might be more useful than a tough love aproach of saying "Since you know the best thing to do, if you don't want to do it that's on you".

In that vein some things that may improve the amount of exercise you do:

Joining social sports club, the focus may be more on wining/improving skills/social aspect than exercise and so may help take focus off the unenjoyable part and a commitment to your group/team/opponent may be more motivating than a commitment to themselves for some people.

Walking/cycling desk setup. An initial outlay in cost but if it's there and you're doing it while concentrating on something else it might be a significant improvement.

Setting an alarm/timer to do a set of weights or squats every hour or so, stops your muscles atrophing if nothing else and will mean when you do purposfully exercise your not immediately discouraged by how sore you are 1 minute into it.

Any everyday routine you can more easily force into your day. Maybe a jog around the block/up and down apartment stairs before your morning shower. Or join the gym that is along your commute rather than the cheaper one that you need to purposefully drive/walk to. Maybe you listen to a chapter of audiobook while doing pallates as soon as you get home. Forming a habit has the highest initial cognitive load, quite often it's easier(not easy) to tie it to the begining of or end of another action you do everyday than it is to do something at a specific time.

Don't let best be the enemy of better.

[furyg3]

I'm not in your camp, but I get where you're coming from. I used to be marginally active, trying to get a run in every now and then, but it sucked almost every time. I pushed and pushed and it still was terrible. Then I found sports / activities that I really liked. Hiking in nature, squash, rock climbing. The latter two feel more like games / puzzle to me, and while I am confronted with exertion, I get totally lost in the moment when doing them. I still run, it's still grueling, but I do it to be better at the things I love doing, which motivates me.

[Escapado]

> tailored to someone with my neurological makeup that causes this dislike of useless exertion

Quite a lot to unpack here. I would argue the advice given is really good and valid for most people and so that's a good thing. I am sorry you feel under-represented and hope you find something valuable for yourself elsewhere.

Additionally I think lots of people find that they have to force themselves to start and finish a workout and only some eventually come to learn to like it. But for many it starts as a chore like preparing food or doing laundry or taking a shower. It costs time and effort and often hurts. And people can go for a while without any of those but it usually has consequences which are usually worse in the long run than the initial invest.

You seem to have a fairly static view of who "you" are. I used to be in the camp of "my body is just a vehicle for my brain" camp and did not understand why I would exercise at all since I was always skinny (but also super weak) and my mind was what I was working with. And then my grandpa told me: "A healthy mind likes to reside in a healthy body" and that took a few years to really sink in. And now I realize that pushing myself through regular workouts and making myself deliberately suffer exhaustion, fatigue and pain makes me more happy, stable and relaxed in general and I even think of myself as a fit athletic person now and made that part of my identity.

And lastly I am kind of curious about a thing: You said that you only want to do it when it's attached to a game. So if you share the notion that exercise is good and you already know that this is how it's easier for you to do it, then why not focus on exercises which are also games. There are so many of them. And for everyone else who does not need or want a game, meditating or doing yoga seems to be another great venue to start.

[pjc50]

I agree that it's very annoying when people give you advice that you have no intention of following, and them being "right" only makes it more annoying.

For me, past age 40, it was transformative finding a neurodivergent personal trainer and getting into weightlifting (yes, this is a cliche, everyone is doing it). Having an appointment and working with somebody makes me actually do it.

It's not always euphoric. I would like to make the too-obvious point that exercise is often really tiring. But the feeling of power and capability can be really valuable at times, even if it's fragile and physically contingent.

[user_named]

Exercise is great for everyone including yourself. It's up to you to exercise. Don't complain when people list the benefits of exercise.

[shafyy]

I see where you're coming from. Over the past two decades, I tried different sports like going to the gym, jogging, swimming, body pump, etc. but never stuck because it was just a not fun. In the past 5 years, I've discovered at-home Yoga (on YouTube, I hate in-person classes), hiking on weekends, and going for 2-3 km walks after lunch each day.

What works for me might not work for you, but my broader point is that exercise != exercise. Try to find something that you like, and that you can fit into your schedule. Even if it's only a 15 min walk each day, during which you can e.g. listen to music or a podcast, reflect, do some people watching just or do nothing.

[lm28469]

> For me, exerting myself sucks

Changing your tires and doing an oil change also sucks, not doing it will suck way more in the long run.

I exercise, not because I like it but because it's the right thing to do. Whatever misery you feel while doing it will be a fraction of the misery you'll feel when your body will give up on you if you don't do it.

It's an investment in the future, probably the single most beneficial investment you can make actually

[pjc50]

> Changing your tires and doing an oil change also sucks, not doing it will suck way more in the long run.

Even for those people who feel the "meat-mecha" disconnection, the mecha benefits from maintenance.

"For Case, who’d lived for the bodiless exultation of cyberspace, it was the Fall. In the bars he’d frequented as a cowboy hotshot, the elite stance involved a certain relaxed contempt for the flesh. The body was meat. Case fell into the prison of his own flesh." -- Neuromancer, 1984 https://www.penguinrandomhouse.ca/books/293994/neuromancer-b...

[saiya-jin]

Well, investment in longer happier life, and for the guys the feeling of strength and full control of one's body is pretty significant upgrade too. It changes mental perspective on just about anything in long run too.

Yes, if the worst decisions in life can be ie smoking cigarettes or being lazy couch potato, the best is easily to work out somehow, anyhow.

[digoxine]

I would recommend trying sport climbing or gym bouldering. I had a very similar mindset of not being interesting or engaging for a longer period of time, but bouldering for me finaly hit the right combination of a "gamified" excercise that kept my attention for years.

[Shrezzing]

> Just to add my contrarian two cents to a comment section that is otherwise mostly the former.

Your comment isn't particularly contrarian, and agrees mostly with the article. It says consistently throughout the article that the type of exercise doesn't matter, and that people should do exercise they enjoy, and tailor their choices towards their own personal wellbeing needs.

If DDR is what gets you going, then have at it (dancing is specifically highlighted in the article as beneficial). If yoga doesn't work for you, don't do it.

[escapedmoose]

I’m of the same mindset as you. I’m amazed at people who can tolerate even 30 minutes of “normal” exercise, because every time I try to lift weights or go running, my brain is screaming at me the entire time to please for the love of god find literally any other occupation. I’ve tried accompanying exercise with music, podcasts, books, TV to no avail. Anyone suggesting yoga or meditation for this does not understand the issue at hand—yoga is the worst offender!

Acknowledging my broken brain, I avoid taking my car anywhere that I could reasonably walk or bike, because having a destination makes the exercise easier. And I’ve leaned in heavily to DDR, creating a semi-permanent station for it in my basement, complete with balance bar. If not for those things I would have nary an ounce of muscle on my body.

[barbs]

Doing exercise for exercise's sake is difficult for me too. I'm lucky that my work is a half hour bike ride, and this is faster than catching public transport (though not quite as fast as driving). That's enough to motivate me to ride to and from work most days. Plus for me it's the most enjoyable mode of transport - the speed combined with the immediacy of your surroundings, being able to hear and smell everything. And it's mostly free (barring initial purchase and maintenance costs, which are minimal).

It gets my heartrate up, though I don't ride every day, so I'm not sure if I'm reaching the threshold for the recommended amount of exercise. But it's better than nothing.

[Shocka1]

Not sure if you are open to it, but try mountain biking at some point. Go rent a MTB somewhere with some good trails and see where it takes you. I used to be able to get myself in the gym, but now I can't stand it because it's boring to me.

I purchased both a Hybrid and MTB bike one year and haven't turned back. I use a lot of Strava - compete against myself, friends and strangers. My thirst for competition is filled, plus I'm in extremely great cardio shape.

[prox]

What is the definition of “you”? If I may ask. if your identity is mostly mental, I can see why any bodily exertion might seem less “you”. This is coming from someone who was in his head a lot. Most people don’t even realize it that they are.

[verve_rat]

I feel very similar to you. Exercise is boring. And not the "I have to do the dishes and then the washing" boring. Real mind-numbing boredom.

So I've taken up hand tool only woodworking as a hobby. It keeps me active and allows me to trick myself into learning a new skill and having fun while making sure I won't die in 10 years time.

Exercise sucks, it really, really sucks. So work out some other thing that is exercise-like and try and trick yourself.