I absolutely abhor exercise... tips?

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I'm not too far gone yet weight wise, but I'm heading there. Just calculated my body fat and at 35% which isn't good, and BMI is borderline overweight. So I know I *should* get fit, I just can't stand it!! !! !

I can't stand being out of breath and gasping for air (happens very very fast even after working out for months, actually think I have exercise induced asthma which would be useful to get checked out)
I can't stand the pain when your muscles are struggling
or the weakness from being so tired
But worse of all, I absolutely cannot handle the muscle soreness afterwords.

This has been an issue all my life, and since you guys are fellow aspies, and more prone to hypersensitiveness I was wondering if there was any tips to get around this stuff.

I'm a lazy brat so forcing myself out there is going to be REALLY REALLY HARD. And likely will give up. :X
I would force myself every semester while in college to take 1-2 gym courses just to get some sort of physical activity in.

I have taken karate, fitness walking, fencing, archery, rock climbing, on my own I've also done a lot of badminton (work), jump rope, running, weight lifting, rowing machine, tredmill, etc. I'm a fairly good swimmer too.... laser tag is a huge workout too I've discovered.

I'm competitive beyond belief and that is the sole thing that gets me through any of it, running? Find someone faster and chase after, must win!

Unfortunately I can't handle "going slow." Doing x activity for y minutes... always feel a need to go faster faster faster, see how fast I can get this done, or must lift this weight 10x so lift as fast as possible, even though I know that you're supposed to do slow, I just can't stand the activity so much I want it done asap.

So I'm at a loss. I have done all those activities, and while some are fun, the drawbacks of them make me unable to force myself to continue.

There really are few things in this world I hate more than exercise... (oh yeah, to make things worse I have serious RLS pain happen after I run (happens on its own as well but rarely anymore, but always when I run))


What is a good way for me to get even a little more fit? Small things like parking father away and walking in I can do (though often forget), but what else?
If it is an activity it's likely going to have to be competitive...
I want to learn martial arts, but the countless reps were driving me insane in karate, is there one that is more bout oriented and can actually work to "defeat" someone and "win" more often? Fencing had a lot more bouts than my karate class ever did, so considering that.
How do I keep myself to keep going and doing it?
And for the love of god, how the hell do I stop feeling so sh***y!?! !!
I've taken advil/motrin, I've tried hot baths, cold showers, stretching before, stretching after, stretching day after, etc and can't seem to get rid of it or tolerate it (last week I had moved a 100lb and 50lb bed and frame myself 3x that day, the next 6 days were hell. The day after was so bad I went home early from work and went straight to sleep to sleep through it x.x)

There are many ways to excercise. I have asthma and I also struggle with my hand-to-eye coordination because of my Asperger's syndrome. It didn't stop me from getting to a 300 lb bench press in just a year.



Your first exercises are going to be that way. If the problem persists, it means that you're not eating enough protein. Contrary to popular belief spred by envious pseudointellectuals, bread and butter won't give you nearly enough protein to actually get any results.



Get a structured exercise routine. F*cking around with randomly selected exercises on randomly selected days with a randomly selected level of intensity will get you nowhere.




Protein shakes are a good start.

Seems to me the biggest problem here is mental...no, not the dislike of exercise, but the drive to do too much to the point of discomfort & pain. You are repeatedly pushing way past your pleasure threshold, so every incident of exercise becomes associated w/punishment.

The inner resistance to gradual conditioning.

You're trying to build on a weak foundation w/that kind of mental precondition.

Some low intensity starts suggested in WSJ...
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000142 ... +tolerance

By getting one of the eDevices like the Jawbone or Fuelband, you can become self-competitive, make the competition about how well you can do slow & gradual conditioning, graph it.

Another article about the role music can play in exercise tolerance...
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000142 ... cise+music

And the possibility of a biological basis for exercise tolerance differences...Hardwired to Hate Exercise:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000142 ... S=exercise

Also, besides stretching out, you don't mention if you drink lots of fluids.

With running, a walk/run routine is more efficient than steady jogging. Walk a ways, sprint from point to point, then walk again. It won't take long before you find that you're sprinting faster and walking further.

With exercise in general, what stopped me for a long time was fear. Fear of trying to do something, like 20 good push-ups, and failing. You almost have to forgive yourself first before you start any program, because you have to be your own cheerleader, not your own critic. Remember, exercise, no matter how short or easy, is always worth it. Don't tell yourself that if you don't spend at least 2 hours non stop at the gym it isn't worth going. Even if you just do 10 push-ups and call it a day, do them.

I found that using my love of routine and structure really helped me get into good shape. I think it's an Aspie thing for me, but writing down exactly the work out I am going to do, five days a week on a calendar and then crossing it off when I'm done, and logging the weight/reps if applicable is deeply, deeply satisfying. I started with p90x which is pretty intense, but gives a concrete schedule to follow for 3 months. I'd suggest something like p90 (a gentler version) or even just a schedule of walking/light weights for a month to get you started.

I find once I stick to a schedule like that for about a week, I get a little obsessed with NOT breaking it.

I don't know you, obviously, but changing what you eat can make a giant difference in body fat percentage and well-being as well, including energy levels without working out at all. Just a thought, it could very well be you have excellent eating habits already. I know with Asperger's it can be hard sometimes because texture is such a big deal, and we /can/ be finicky eaters set in our ways, but that's something you could do to make yourself feel better without working out like a maniac.

The protein tip is good, I would do semester long batches so know that it isn't just the starting sorenesses
Like the semester I took fencing I would do fencing 2-3x a week and another 2-3x a week of running, weight lifting, and rowing machine... was in pain that entire semester and just hated life even more.

Structure may help a little, but I'm notorious for giving up things and not sticking to them... only reason managed the previous years was because grades were dependant on going to class :X

And yeah I do "run/walk"... because walking is too boring and running too tiring, so it's sprint, then walk until can breath again, then sprint, etc... XD

And yes, I agree with the mental thing, and yes drink a lot of water actually and no to other person, I don't eat well either... planning on trying to sneak a little more health in, but these are both mutually difficult things :X

Also, curious, thought came while reading one of your articles about hardwired to hate it:

Asthma means you aren't getting enough oxygen to your cells basically, right? I assumed that it could be because I'm borderline anemic, but took iron suppliments (w/ vitamin c to absorb better) in attempt to stave off RLS pain (failed attempt, but tried nevertheless). I didn't find it helped my perceived death by gasping fish syndrome, but if it was asthma and not getting enough oxygen... could lack of oxygen while working out lead to increased muscle soreness?

A balanced diet can improve your mental state.

Cycling is better than running in my opinion, less impact on the leg joints.

With martial arts finding the right class or teacher can make a massive difference. Most Karate styles are fairly rigid in structure. Different arts will incorporate sparing into the classes earlier, you just need to try some out. The best class I attended was Tai Chi, due to the teacher, half the time spent in contact exercises. All styles do require time and effort to study the set forms though, you can expect to improve without the fundamentals.

What about Aikido? It is mainly using your opponent's forces against you right? You'd need to channel that and less reps of perfect punch, right? (And yes, I know you need some basics, like we had thrusting and practice parrying in fencing, but we only did katas in my karate course :X)

Oh yeah, I completely forgot

The reason I think I have the asthma thing is because (and I know this is a clear sign of trying too hard) I will get to the point where my hearing gets duller until can't hear at all and...will continue until I lose all color vision ^^;;; This has been happening on/off since middle school, and wasn't nearly as lazy then as I am now (and better diet and fitness/bodyfat too was actually underweight when started college, oh how things have gone down hill)

Just frustrating when people (appear, obviously not since the state I'm in) are worse off than you and can keep going and you're about to pass out XD

OK, so addressing the impatience aspect is part of your exercise program. Impatience management. I can say I know something about that!



Pretty sure it does. My memory is vague here, but when the body goes into anaerobic mode during exercise, muscle tissue gets broken down & lactic acid & other toxins increase, causing muscle soreness. So because of your reduced lung capacity, you may go over the oxygen threshold much sooner than average.

You might also have some dietary inflammatory stuff happening...are you celiac & not watching what you eat very carefully? Or other dietary autoimmune issues?

Yes try Aikido if you have a class local, try anything until you find the right thing.

Karate is great if you are going to devote your life to it.

Have you spoken to a doctor about the asthma and anemia? Any blood tests?

Anemia has come up w/ me and the doctors which is why I tried iron supplements, asthma has not... *mumbles* needa find new doctor, last one tried sending me to a mental hospital /grudge (depression, badly, which is reason I care more about exercising for weight rather than just dieting, because it's *supposed* to be good for you)

Like what?


And I just eat a lot of crappy foods... mutual love for each other and all, not allergic to anything though intense distaste to many or not eat, often too tired/lazy to eat after work, so its often an (unhealthy) snack or nothing

Sounds like the quickest "fix" to being able to tolerate this stuff is seeing dr... if I can simply breathe may be able to tolerate the soreness *tries convincing herself things really will get better*

I meditate--there are various kinds: walking, standing, sitting & lying down--& I really feel the repeated letting go of the thought & returning to the breath is basically a patience practice. Not to mention all the marvelous health benefits they keep finding. I could give you some basic instruction if you like or answer questions you might have.




Find a healthy thing & do it. For me a protein shake or smoothie would work. Quick, easy, & can be a real powerhouse of nutrition. Also, assume you're not getting enough sunlight & get your Vit. D levels tested. Strong evidence linking low levels w/depression, etc.



I see this as another try at quick when slow & steady wins the race for you. It's about avoiding pain, making the exercise pleasurable, fun. For you, I think the old adage "No pain, no gain" is a sinker. Assume pain is telling you that you got it WRONG for you. That adage is for people who have a higher pain tolerance or stronger endorphin releases or something. Not for you, I'm thinking.

Or me. If it's fun, I'll do it. If it's not fun, I won't. Simple as that.

I hope you find some solution.

Exercise partner? Does not work for me but could for you?

I know it's hard to avoid the quick and easy snacks, and they taste good, but sugar and fat and sedentary life............it's the devil's work.

And the FUN bit is very important too........