I struggled with exercise, but I figured that if I just kept trying different things eventually I would stumble across something I could at least tolerate. I tried exercise equipment but I would get bored. I tried exercise videos, and they are ok but they get repetitive. Then I found a great place to go walking outdoors, and I became hooked. I love being outside. I love watching the seasons change and seeing the familiar faces of others that walk the same time I do. I even found myself buying a bird book to help me identify the birds I was seeing during my walks. I've started incorporating some jogging and while it's progressing rather slowly I am finding that I am enjoying that too. I am glad I found this for myself, because I look forward to doing this everyday instead of dreading dragging myself upstairs and making myself get on my treadmill (which I do still use for rainy or especially cold days). I really do think a lot of sticking with exercise is finding something you really enjoy doing. Don't give up on finding something that is perfect for you!

If you hate the gym then don't go- find something else you like to do. Exercise doesn't mean you have to go to the gym.

I joined a gym, hated it, and dragged my feet there and couldn't wait to leave. I was like WHY am I torturing myself like this?

I went home- got a treadmill on craigslist for $100 (a really good one that probably sold for $600 when it was new) and bought a bike from walmart for $100 (and a helmet for like $20). And I workout MORE now than with the gym- and even though the upfront costs were high they have more than paid for themselves. Hubby and I go bike riding on the weekend at the beach for 1-2 hours (and we have so much fun), and I go on my treadmill a few times a week.

Maybe if you find a good quality used one your hubby will be more willing for you to buy one?

For those of you who like to dance but are concerned you aren't getting enough exercise from it, try some dance videos. Someone mentioned the Exercise TV website. Netflix also has exercise videos under their Watch Instantly tab and they are free if you already have a Netflix subscription.

And, of course, there's DVDs. Learning a new dance form can be a lot of fun and the exercise is bonus. I'm really appreciating dance forms that can be done without shoes. I love the Island Girl DVDs (hula and Tahitian dance) -- and they are always cheap on Amazon. I'm also liking my Nia DVD (Integrative Conditioning) and I've just tried a DVD by Ellen Barrett that I liked.

Once you've done dance DVDs, you get a pretty good idea what a dance workout entails, so now I feel like I can free-dance and count that as a workout, too.

Dance is a great winter workout. I walk more when the weather is nice, but I've been dancing up a storm the last few weeks.

I think balance balls are great for exercise haters. Just sitting on it engages your core muscles and bouncing on it is cardio! I wore my heart rate monitor while bouncing up and down on mine the other day and was really surprised to see that my heart rate did go up!

I'm glad I found this thread! There are lots of great ideas here.

I have a treadmill set up in my living room, and it still doesn't motivate me or bug me to see it go unused. LOL. I do walk slowly on it when I work from home and have teleconferences, just so I'm moving even though it's not cardio.

I don't care for gyms, but I do like exercise classes. I've taken cardio-salsa with a former coworker, and water aerobics with my aunt. It's WAY more fun to do it when you incorporate a social element.

Dance classes. I've done them in the past and LOVE them! Belly dance, ballroom dance, swing, and hula. Whoever said they'd feel like they'd embarrass themselves - I hope that doesn't prevent you from joining a class. Everyone makes mistakes and nobody bats an eye about it.

Cleaning my garage can be both cardio and weight lifting. Today's "exercise" so far was scrubbing my kitchen floor.

I agree! WALK, WALK, WALK! Last time I got down to 220, I did it by walking everywhere I could. I live about 2 mi. from downtown, so anywhere I need to go, I just hoofed it. When I tried to go lower than 220, I found I had to up the exercise, and at that point, joined a gym, but by then, it wasn't a chore, it was fun!

Now, thanks to my pain pills, I am back to walking everywhere, and I am seeing a similar increase in weight-loss. It really does seem to be the answer.

I would love to tell you that all you have to do is take the stairs, park farther , etc. and your life would be complete. Especially since you have committed to "counting calories for a week". I think it's a place to start. It's an awareness. You have to start somewhere. Actually, counting calories will work for a while. You will lose some weight and you won't have to sweat for it. :) Truth is , it's devastating to get that wake up call in the first place. It's unpleasant. I'm glad you see that you see a need to make a change. You know what you need to do. If you are a person who is totally unfamiliar with exercise, the gym is a good place to start. It's unpleasant for the first week or two or three or four. Then something amazing happens. You owe it to yourself to own that experience.

I don't like to workout either, in the general way it's thought of. I definitely do not go to the gym.

I play DDR (dance dance revolution), hula hoop, use exercise dvds, Leslie Sansone's walk dvd is very good, I have a recumbent stationary bike that I love, in the non winter months my husband and I walk outdoors too. If you have NetFlix you can stream dance dvds off there too. Sometimes I just march in place quickly while watching tv.

I hate exercise, and I like TV. So I do both at the same time. I have an iTouch (iPod) with TV shows on it, and I am only "allowed" to watch TV when I am on the elliptical in the gym. Which makes me pretty motivated, and I hardly even notice my heart rate going up to 85%. Yes, a lot of people would argue that's a very limited form of cardio, but I'm motivated to get off my butt and go to the gym to do it five days a week for 30-60 minutes, after a day of work, which I KNOW I would not do otherwise.

I am also working right now in a climate/country where it's not really feasible or appealing to walk outside in my neighborhood; but I participate in a hiking group that gets me out on the weekends in the outdoors and adds socializing.

And now because of my increased fitness level, I even added some exercise videos for variety, on days when my schedule doesn't let me go to the gym, because my elliptical and hiking gives me fantastic lower body tone and I was thinking maybe I could get my top half to look like that. Even though I don't, um, like exercise and would never do it voluntarily. Wait, how did that happen??

The best advice I can give on exercise is to Find something you like and simply stick to that! Start by walking and just experiment until you find something that make you want to do it. I get ragged on alot for ONLY running. I hardly EVER lift weights but hey I rather run 10 miles then do nothing at all simply because I loathe weight lifting. I like running so i run. Do you what you find appealing and you will totally stick with it and lose weight while doing it.

Eh. Who needs the gym! I haven't stepped foot in a gym in over 4 years.

I swing dance recreationally so I get a lot of cardio that way. But, I've been swing dancing for 3 years and I only lost weight when I changed my food intake last year.

I also lift weights at home. I bought a little weight bench at Walmart and I bought a set of free weights at a sporting goods store. I am working on getting more arm and abdominal muscle definition.

In addition to the aforementioned, I do workout videos at home (Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred and No More Trouble Zones). And my ultimate favorite thing to do is to run/jog around my neighborhood when the weather is nice. I love, love, love this! All I need are my running shoes and my iPod and I am golden.

The only thing I miss at the gym are the aerobics classes. But I don't have a real need to ever go to the gym again.

I started up with Kinetic (PlayStation 2 game with a camera that puts you on the screen) - -it is more fun than the stair climber, and I work up a sweat -- and if you do the personal trainer, it starts you out slow :-)

I agree with other advice, find something you like -- it doesn't have to be the hamster machines (where you go nowhere) :-)

Also, please don't listen to anyone who tells you a certain exercise is "no use". (There are many people out there with their pet exercise theories, who you will eventually hear from if you haven't already.) If I had listened to the people who were trying to persuade me that only HIIT or whatever had any point, I would still be sitting on the couch.

I read somewhere, I think on the Cranky Fitness web site, The only useless exercise is the one you don't end up doing. ANYTHING that raises your heart rate is better than NOT doing anything that raises your heart rate. That is now my mantra.

They also have a great exercise motivation/excuse flow chart that includes the direction "learn how to hum", which I actually remembered on the day that I forgot my headphones.

do what you like
 

the only aerobic exercise I like is cross country skiing, but I need to be in shape to do it.
I did curves for a while, then a regular gym, but since we moved to the country I am too far away for them and didn't love it, tho I got into the habit of more regular exercise.
I now do yoga and pilates classes in the small town about 15 min away, once a week each, and go for hot yoga in a nearby city when I can do a drop in.
I get on the treadmill to watch tv, ramping up during the commercials, so I work harder. I walk the dog. I love having a dog and walking her gets me going. I just did a week of cross country for my vacation, and really enjoyed it.
yes, I planned an exercise holiday not a holiday from exercise. And enjoyed it.
I had to stop thinking about exercise for weight loss and thinking that I like to be fit to be able to enjoy the skiing or the dog walking etc.
PS, I also had a real problem with overheating and wanting to stop as soon as I got hot and sweaty. I keep LOTS of cool water with me (have a camel pack for skiing) and just put up with the sweat, have gotten more used to it now. But that was a barrier.
You can and will find something you like (or at least can manage, like treadmill for a favourite show) and that will help. I agree, don't overdo it to begin with, just doing a little to start is helpful. Thats what I liked with curves to start, from zero to 30 minutes 3 or 4 times a week did make a difference. Was easier to keep on when it doesn't feel like its killing you!

I HATE EXERCISE AND I HATE GYMS!!! Whew! That felt good. Thanks for the opportunity to share. In my previous weight loss successes, I started out much like you said; just doing more and walking and dancing. Then, as someone else said, the more weight I lost, the more I felt like exercising. Give it time; it will come. You will probably lose some at first if your body is not used to exercise, but then you'll plateau and will have to kick it up a notch. But, by then, you'll be in better shape and feel more like exercising.

One suggestion on the dance videos - they all sound great. But, if you don't like the music they play, try putting the sound on mute and dancing to your own music with your headphones on. Makes the time go by faster.

Good luck!