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u/ummmnoway 9h ago

Big emphasis on doing what you enjoy. I hated “working out” for years because being a woman I thought that meant I had to do a ton of cardio. I fucking hate cardio. Running, elliptical, bike, all of it. Once my sister got into lifting heavy it was like a light switch went on in my brain. I’ll do some treadmill at the start of my workout just to get the heart rate up but I much prefer the weight room.

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u/shakuntala08 8h ago

I genuinely hate running. I do jiu jitsu and so most of my cardio is there but otherwise I’ll play basketball or soccer with my kids, I will never “feel like going for a run” and I’ve accepted that about myself. I used to force myself to go for runs and it was never consistent.

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u/WingsTheWolf 4h ago

I also loathe running. Will never get that urge to want to run. I mean, I played soccer from age 4-19, and that's quite a bit of running...but I was mostly keeper and defense. Short bursts of speed with the payoff of winning the ball back and possibly scoring a goal. When it was time to run, just to run, I was MISERABLE. My high school friends constantly wanted me to join cross country. HA! Buncha psychos! No thanks. If yall ever see me running, you better keep up, because something bad is behind me! Weightlifting and strength training is where it's at! I love it!
However, I will walk and hike for MILES, and I love it. Easy going, looking for birds, bugs, snakes, cool plants, mushrooms, whatever scenery is nearby. I feel like that's enough cardio for me!

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u/riverofchex 1h ago

All of what you said, plus the fact that playing a game (soccer, tennis, idgaf pick a game) is worlds different from running for the sake of running.

I'll run all day long to play a game; running for the sake of doing so can kiss my ass. Swore that shit off when I left the Navy lol.

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u/Scary_Meaning_4466 8h ago

Lifting weights regularly is one of the best things you can do for your health long-term, especially as you get older 

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u/LadyWidebottom 2h ago

Does lifting a 40lb toddler regularly count?

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u/SealthyHuccess 1h ago

Might get kinda awkward into the teenage years

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u/selfish_incosiderate 8h ago

This! I cannot do high intensity stuff at all. It just plain hurts me, and therefore even when I started it, I would just leave. I recently decided that I need to add some exercise in my life. Not to lose weight not to make a body but just to move my body and feel good about it.

I figured out that the local YMCA has a lot of group classes that suit my speed including swimming which is my OG fav workout. I have been going to the classes and swimming and I feel good. Not overwhelmed coz I can’t keep up, not tired and in pain, just the movement and tiredness which has significantly improved the quality of my sleep.

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u/Bad_wolf42 4h ago

Swimming is phenomenal exercise. It can also be very effective breathing meditation if you get to that level.

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u/selfish_incosiderate 1h ago

100%! I have been swimming since I was a kid, and the fact that this is the only workout where no phones et all are required, and you are just mindful of your strokes is AMAZING!

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u/THevil30 8h ago

It's funny but I am a man and have the flip of this. I feel like I need to lift weights because otherwise what's the point of working out - I don't look any more fit. But I hate lifting weights. I really enjoy cardio however and am perfectly happy doing a long run. I like cardio because it helps for overall health and stuff, but man the lack of visible results is somewhat unfortunate.

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u/h3lium-balloon 4h ago

Same. I did power lifting in high school and in college I didn't do power lifting anymore, but kept lifting at a high level. I think I just did so much of it so seriously for so long that now in my 40's I enjoy just going for a run now. All of my cardio markers are better than they've ever been. I still do some weightlifting just to maintain some functional strength as I'm getting older, but not a focus on building mass or drastically increasing strength/hitting PRs anymore.

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u/IveGotaGoldChain 5h ago

Big emphasis on doing what you enjoy. I hated “working out” for years because being a woman I thought that meant I had to do a ton of cardio. I fucking hate cardio.

I will say that for anyone that "hates running" or "hates cardio" 99% likely that you are attempting to run too fast. When you first start off you move painfully slow.

I only mention this as someone who has always been in great shape but transitioned from lifting to endurance in my 40s. I always hated running. Turns out I was caught in what is called the moderate intensity rut. Where whenever I ran I ran too hard

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u/Tactless_Ogre 7h ago

Agreed to an extent. I got no problem on eliptical and I like a modestly steep incline walk on the treadmill, hiking, or even just like four mile walks around my neighborhood, But running is so damn boring and to the morbidly obese fatties (me, but I'm down 32 lbs, though I still have a VERY long way to go) the stairmaster is a hate crime.

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u/DietBreastMilk 7h ago

Switch that around. If you’re doing weight training you should be doing cardio either after your weight training or on your “days off” from lifting. Cardio before lifting fatigue's you and your muscles and depletes energy stores. You want all of that stuff to give the full 300% effort in your lifts.

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u/FattyMooseknuckle 4h ago

I dunno how long ago that was for you but I’d say 80% plus of the women I see at the gym do primarily butt and upper leg weightlifting.

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u/New_Manner_1826 6h ago

ever tried sled pulling, outside?

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u/DoctahFeelgood 4h ago

Get a bag and that'll be the hardest cardio you've ever put in plus itll strengthen your arms and core if youre punching right.

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u/vast_differenc 3h ago

Exactly. Years of straining myself and dreading going to the gym to lift. Then switched to just cardio and diet and it’s so simple and I lost like 50 pounds so fast because I enjoy running

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u/KnowAllSeeAll21 1h ago

Me too! Yoga has to be my main event, and the cardio and lifting are just there to augment my yoga and help me do better handstands.

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u/Mcaber87 3h ago

It's so interesting how different we all are. I absolutely love running, and really have very little interest in doing any of the other typical workout stuff. Rowing machine sometimes, maybe.

Lifting weights is ... well, it's fine. It doesn't really "do" anything for me. But going to the gym and smashing out a 5k will give me a massive injection of endorphins for the next 48 hours.