I can imagine people having fun getting lost in the flow of playing a competitive sport. I’ve also heard some people experience a post-workout high. But does anyone actually feel pleasure in the moment while lifting weights, jogging, cycling, etc?
If so… what does it feel like? Is there anything the rest of us can do to cultivate such a mindset?
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Ever bitten into a spicy pepper and enjoyed the burn? That’s what it feels like! Different strokes for different folks, but for me, every drop of sweat is a medal of honor. It’s tough to describe, but it’s about the journey of getting stronger, faster, better. Embrace the grind, my friend, and you might just find that elusive gym rat bliss.
I don’t think I truly understood why some people don’t like spicy food until reading your comment.
As one of those people, they might as well have said “Have you ever stubbed your toe and really enjoyed the feeling?”
Growing up we barely seasoned food and now I was getting to point were I was getting bored with food, so I started buying black pepper, paprika and chili peppers to experiment and it changed me.
For me, it’s not about the burn/numbness (the first two barely give you any sort of kick anyways), but instead it’s about the flavour they add that I had never tasted. It’s that flavour that enhances the food, not the hotness. I have no interest is using artificially hot sauces for the gimmick.
A few years earlier I ate a chili hamburger out of curiosity and two bites into it my lips were absolutely numb, it was ridiculous. It wasn’t painfull, but it wasn’t pleasing either and it kept me out of “hot” food for a long while.
So it’s not solely about “stubbing your toe on purpose” or stepping on a Lego, but it can also be about experiencing new things like walking on freshly cut grass or wet sand.
That’s a good metaphor. Biting into a pepper and enoying the burn. It’s like using Linux just so you can say that you use Linux.
I am not a fan of other workouts but I LOVE cycling. Wind in my face, sightseeing, ability to push harder or just cruise to catch my breath makes it really enjoyable IMO.
Same. At first it sucked, but nowadays, I really enjoy just being on my bike. I’m not competitive at all, if I’m slow, I’m slow.
It’s type 2 fun. You don’t want to do it, but you’re glad you did when you do
For reference: The Fun Scale .
thats a good way to put it. I really hate the Monotony of it so i try to change the workouts. I am not ever excited to go to the gym, but i want the effects of it so i just have to deal
Late to the party here, but in my home gym I set up a teevee with my nVidia Shield so I can watch whatever I want. This really helps with motivation as it rewires the task for more enjoyment. I play whatever comedies I enjoy which distracts from the difficulties that naturally come with working out. If I have a new show to watch, all the better. Silly shows like TPB, Reno911, Corporate, and Peep Show. Just keep them playing and I can keep going (mostly). Made a huge difference and I thought others should know this trick. It helped me to lose 50lbs!
Good luck to you!
No. Never. I think I’m very different because I am never motivated, nor feel good during/after exercise. No, my testosterone is fine.
Same. I even went pretty regularly for months and tried all the different workouts and while I was in better shape, none of it was enjoyable in any way.
There is definitely a huge difference after 6 months of focusing on one thing. I’ve done hot yoga off and on over about 12 years and I’d say it took 6 months of going consistently before I felt like my body adjusted and it was more enjoyable. After 2 years I didn’t feel like I was going to die and it actually became very enjoyable.
I’ve fallen off recently because it’s easier to sit around and initially it does suck because you need to readjust. But I when I had gone 2-3x in a week, man I felt like a god. I started going in my 20s, I was high af all the time and knew I needed some exercise or I was gonna die.
I think it takes a certain person to love lifting weights of all things. But luckily there are lots of things out there
Two years for it to become enjoyable? What is it, a JRPG?
I love it, I listen to music and it’s like meditation. The pain of muscle fatigue for me feels good and bad at the same time.
I’m walking every street in my (very large) suburb (think Southern California) and picking up litter while doing so. I track my progress with an app and map it to a website (citystrides.com) that fills in each neighborhood as I go.
It started as something to do during Covid–although I took a year off in there, somewhere. I listen to podcasts while I go. So I’m out of the house (I’m retired now–that helps), get some “fresh” air (🤷♂️ )–all while listening to and from and about interesting people. As a bonus, the space I’ve passed thru that day is a little “better” for me having been there.
I apparently have a dose of “completeism”–a compulsion to ‘complete’ something thoroughly. There’s something psychologically very satisfying about watching that map get filled in.
That’s very thorough. You should also take photos along your walks, you’re definitely stumbling upon interesting things and people.
The de-littering aspect takes up a surprising amount of mental cpu cycles. You’re constantly scanning the environment for detritus. I DO photograph interesting or quirky things as I encounter them–when I notice the–but that doesn’t seem to be the primary focus of each walk. Plus, the Valley isn’t known for it’s stunning architecture. 😜
(The wealthier parts of the Valley–in the hills south of Ventura Blvd, for example–there are a lot of really interesting (and gaudy and ridiculous-looking) homes. There is also a LOT less trash, so it can be a more aesthetic experience. I like doing those neighborhoods early on Sunday mornings when everything is quiet and there is almost no traffic.)
I’ve encountered a gentlemen online that is walking different areas of the greater L.A. area and taking many interesting photos–but it’s hard to de-trash AND photograph and get thru the planned route in a timely manner.
Yeah, I totally understand! It just really resonates with the idea of street photography, which is a lot of walking, a lot of looking, and a lot of appreciation of the little things, the little moments or visual accents that happen in daily life. You’re welcome to join in !streetphotography@lemmy.world to check out what I’m talking about.
What software do you use to track your walks and map them out so thoroughly?
