NEED ADVICE - I hate to exercise

[JuniperBug]

Im coming to you guys because I trust you. Please help if you can.

I'm 25. I'm technically overweight (but not really unhappy with my body after a lot of self work) and I don't exercise. At all.

I know the benefits of exercise. I know I should be doing it. I've had personal trainers, I've done regimes and diets and lifestyle change courses...nothing. I'm too lazy I guess.

The biggest problem is that I hate to sweat. I hate it so much. When I sweat I feel worse than disgusting. I'm so afraid of sweating that I don't go out on hot days, I never wear my hair down even though I like the way it looks. I cover my chest, underarms, and thighs with deodorant multiple times a day. Sometimes I feel like if I was thin I would sweat less but it would take a lot of sweating to get and maintain that.

The health detriments of not exercising don't scare me either because I've always had a very calm accepting attitude towards death and I see it as neutral and inevitable. As long as my loved ones are taken care of, my own death isn't something to fear. That's not meant to be morbid, but realistic.

They say to find something I like but i don't like anything enough to sweat. I feel like such a baby about this and wish I could hijack my brain and become one of those people who craves exercise. But I have no motivation.

Does any of this resonate with you or at least make sense to you? Please let me know your thoughts. I feel so alone in this because I can't tell anyone about it without them just thinking I'm a lazy piece of crap. Thanks in advance for understanding.

 

[KyRN]

Nope, your not alone in this!! I also hate, hate, HATE sweating; I used to joke that there's only one activity I like doing enough to sweat (sex) and other than that, nah, I'm good. However, while I hate being sweaty, I'm not the type that can get away with eating whatever I want and not exercising I wish!
My advice to you is eat a diet low in carbs and high in protein, and to avoid sweaty cardio/aerobics try strengthening or light weight lifting. Isometric is good too. I try my best to commit to 20-30 minutes of exercising every day right before I get in the shower; I don't succeed in motivating myself ALL the time but I've managed to maintain my weight this way after losing 60lbs after I had my daughter. Just look up toning exercises online and pick a couple that look relatively easy
You may not care now, but having muscle actually burns calories! So the more toned you are the more bread you can eat without affecting your weight! Plus there's a big difference between losing 10lbs in time for summer and 60lbs.... I'm on the short side so gaining anything more than 5-10lbs means I can't fit in my fav jeans which is lame.
Good luck!!

 

[Vinca]

It makes alot of sense JuniperBug.

I like what KyRN has suggested - exercise that is less likely to cause you to sweat and doing exercise before having a shower so you know you can wash the sweat off, if there is any.

What about doing activites that have a similar effect to excersize, such as house work with upbeat music on?

It sounds as though the possiblitity of sweating is putting you off exercise, so do you think exploring/tackling how sweating makes you feel, might be helpful?

 

[tree]

JuniperBug

"The health detriments of not exercising don't scare me either because I've always had a very calm accepting attitude towards death and I see it as neutral and inevitable."
This statement brought back memories of my father's sister. She also was calm & accepting toward
her own death. There was not going to be any fuss about the inevitable passing from life to death.

However.....there was considerable fuss about feeling sick in the process.
She hadn't figured in the possibility that ill health might occur.
She decided to have some procedures in order to feel better, in the mean time.
----
Not a lot of sweat involved in swimming/water activity.
Maybe that would work?

Also, walking doesn't have to be a sweaty activity.
Or yoga.

And if it's hot, how about a fan?

[I don't know your weather, but when I lived in Louisiana, in the summer when the
temp dropped to 90---that was when I went for a walk every day/evening, in the shade
of the trees. Because I don't like bright sunlight and sweating, myself.

Also, the high temps..90 to 100 in the house...were perfect for floor exercise and
yoga. Cooler on the floor. Fan.]

 

[KyRN]

House cleaning with music is a GREAT IDEA! Not only is it exercise but you feel good about getting chores accomplished
Oh and tree- swimming is the only cardio I'll willingly participate. The water keeps you cool and you can't feel the sweating part

 

[Ste11aeres]

Nope, your not alone in this!! I also hate, hate, HATE sweating; I used to joke that there's only one activity I like doing enough to sweat (sex) and other than that, nah, I'm good. However, while I hate being sweaty, I'm not the type that can get away with eating whatever I want and not exercising I wish!
My advice to you is eat a diet low in carbs and high in protein, and to avoid sweaty cardio/aerobics try strengthening or light weight lifting. Isometric is good too. I try my best to commit to 20-30 minutes of exercising every day right before I get in the shower; I don't succeed in motivating myself ALL the time but I've managed to maintain my weight this way after losing 60lbs after I had my daughter. Just look up toning exercises online and pick a couple that look relatively easy
You may not care now, but having muscle actually burns calories! So the more toned you are the more bread you can eat without affecting your weight! Plus there's a big difference between losing 10lbs in time for summer and 60lbs.... I'm on the short side so gaining anything more than 5-10lbs means I can't fit in my fav jeans which is lame.
Good luck!!

This is a good post, but I would add that it's best to have a balanced diet that includes both carbs, protein, and healthy types of fats. Low carb diets are often nutritionally problematic in many ways, and not healthy. However, a diet with excessive carbs can contribute to weight gain, that is true The key is nutritional variety and balance.

 

[Warmheart]

How about swimming?

 

[JuniperBug]

Thanks for all of the comments. I think swimming is a pretty good idea. It seems like a routine I could fall into after work and get a bit fixated on, which would be good for me.

The issue from now until the end of next year is that I'm contracted to a gym without a pool. So I feel guilty about any exercise not done at the expensive gym. Breaking the contract costs 6 months worth of payments.

I've agreed to go to classes (yoga and Zumba with pop music) at the gym with a fit coworker who loves to dance and workout. He's nice but adding social pressure to an already stressful situation maybe wasn't a great move. I'm sort of hoping that I'll be able to channel his excitement and passion during workouts ( this is something I'm actually able to do- like feeling drunk when others around me are drunk).

I suppose my best bet is to hold out with this gym and start swimming when the contract is over.

 

[Warmheart]

I'm fixated on swimming, and a few of the other adult Aspies in my Aspie group are, too.
REALLY soothing and FUN, while actually, your heart, muscles, and lungs are totally getting a great work-out!

In these six months, you can enjoy getting geeked up about swimming! You can research the most comfy swim suit (I got a "tugless tank," it's from Land's End, which means you never have to adjust the suit once it's on, so much easier on my sensory issues then a suit which might ride up). You can scope out the most comfy goggles (I got a swim mask instead of goggles, because I don't want anything inside the eye orbits... the Seal 2.0 by AquaSphere is c-o-m-f-y!). You can find a couple of cool websites about swimming to watch animations of technique (try www.swimsmooth.com, it's awesome!) to get your enthusiasm going!

Yes, you'll be exercising, but swimming is FUN!

 

[JuniperBug]

I'm fixated on swimming, and a few of the other adult Aspies in my Aspie group are, too.
REALLY soothing and FUN, while actually, your heart, muscles, and lungs are totally getting a great work-out!

In these six months, you can enjoy getting geeked up about swimming! You can research the most comfy swim suit (I got a "tugless tank," it's from Land's End, which means you never have to adjust the suit once it's on, so much easier on my sensory issues then a suit which might ride up). You can scope out the most comfy goggles (I got a swim mask instead of goggles, because I don't want anything inside the eye orbits... the Seal 2.0 by AquaSphere is c-o-m-f-y!). You can find a couple of cool websites about swimming to watch animations of technique (try www.swimsmooth.com, it's awesome!) to get your enthusiasm going!

Yes, you'll be exercising, but swimming is FUN!

Oh it's like you're living in my head. That's EXACTLY what I need to do.
Thanks so much.

Thank goodness for Aspie friends.