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I used to. All the time, a 5-6 mile run every morning before sunrise. An afternoon gym session.
Exercise/physical activity has been proven to be one of the most effective methods of dealing with depression. Give any sort of physical activity a try, find which one you enjoy the most, and use it to help with the depression. What about you?

Yes. A lot of weights and regular swimming/running depending on the season. 10% enjoying being strong; 20% making sure my clothes don't end up baggy around the chest and shoulders or tight around the waist; 70% vanity.

Currently yes, because I'm in the process of regrowing my leg after knee surgery. Before that no, for a couple of years, because of increasingly gakky knee. Before before that a lot, mostly as a training for spelunking - typical spelunking exploration requires you to be able to hike, climb and ascend ropes for 13-19 hrs a day for a week or two - it is very physically demanding hobby...

Worked out for my back pain, Caused more back pain doing a stupid thing, then got surgery. i stopped working out and started dieting hard and lost about 50 pounds.

i probably should go back but eh :/

Yes i just started, i do 5 push ups a day, hop on each leg 20 times, and do 10 sit ups. Lol.

I just started back after a long time of doing nothing. Mostly because I am getting older and I can feel my fitness declining, so I have to do something to maintain it. Plus, everyone says it is very good for your health.

I have never enjoyed exercise, I don't get any kind of buzz from it. I don't mind running, because you get out and about and see scenery and stuff, but I don't get any of those magical endorphins afterwards, I just feel pretty tired and sore. At the moment I am doing a bunch of stretches, then some jumping jacks until my heart rate is up and I am sweating, squats, push ups, sit ups, leg raises and some physio exercises for my bad knee. I do it until I am knackered, and I am a bit annoyed at how fast that happens, so my main motivation is to be able to do what I consider a respectable amount without getting knackered.

But I don't really see much benefit mentally or whatever. I mean I have an active enough job anyway and I walk everywhere because I don't have a car, so I am not totally sedentary or anything.

I go to the gym between 1 and 3 times a week depending on work. I've been today actually. I used to do much more but time is precious and I'm happily married so no need to impress anyone other than my wife (and she wouldn't mind if I was massive).

I'd say for me it's 80% vanity and 20% health. I do get a buzz after the gym and really enjoy it but I also enjoy pizza and chocolate so I see it as a balance.

I've started trying, mainly for mental health purposes, but also because one of the antidepressants I was on seems to have killed my impressively fast metabolism, so I've been gaining belly podge I don't like, and because I've always been a weedy little gak and want to start fitting some adult-size clothes a little better now I'm reaching the grand old age of 26 :rolleyes:

It's very, very hard to get the motivation for, because like Da Boss I don't seem to get any other benefit from it than being tired and sore for the next few days. All I get is the distraction while I'm doing it. So I've not developed a strong feeling to continue with it, yet; if anything it's sliding towards "well this is proving an utter waste of time, effort, and money", but we'll see.

I only joined a gym back in November, so seasonal depression has been on my back the whole way compounding all my existing issues, so maybe when that starts subsiding I'll have an easier time of things.

Not for about 3 years, had abdominal surgery which herniated, then was quite unwell for much of the intervening period, until I had another surgery middle of last year to correct the hernia as well as other therapeutic reasons.

Will get back to it at some point. Never been big on cardio, did enjoy cycling but unfortunately now live in an area where the terrain exceeds my ability to traverse it. Always enjoyed resistance, if only for the occasional disbelieving glance from the gym hares when they saw what weight the fat bloke on the next station was throwing about (I'm naturally giant, so I start from a higher base line than most!)


Automatically Appended Next Post:

 Avatar 720 wrote:
I've started trying, mainly for mental health purposes, but also because one of the antidepressants I was on seems to have killed my impressively fast metabolism, so I've been gaining belly podge I don't like, and because I've always been a weedy little gak and want to start fitting some adult-size clothes a little better now I'm reaching the grand old age of 26 :rolleyes:

It's very, very hard to get the motivation for, because like Da Boss I don't seem to get any other benefit from it than being tired and sore for the next few days. All I get is the distraction while I'm doing it. So I've not developed a strong feeling to continue with it, yet; if anything it's sliding towards "well this is proving an utter waste of time, effort, and money", but we'll see.

I only joined a gym back in November, so seasonal depression has been on my back the whole way compounding all my existing issues, so maybe when that starts subsiding I'll have an easier time of things.

There's a CBT thing (you might already have come across) that says if you're struggling for motivation, stop at the point where you could perform the task all over again. This is specifically so you don't negatively condition yourself to dislike what would otherwise be a positive action by overdoing it. Aside from not warming up and down correctly, trying to compete with what you see around you and running before you can walk is probably the most common reason for hurting yourself. Despite what I said in my post, the only person you're really competing with in the gym is yourself, if you're tired and sore beyond the point of just being a little stiff the next day you're probably over extending.

Aye, I always stretch and warm up after I beasted myself to keep up with actual fit people during circuit training a couple of years ago and literally felt so bad the next day I had to go home early from work. Super embarrassing!

Not as a kid/teenager, no.

As an adult - absolutely. Discovered a love of running and a bit of boxing. I'm decent at the first, terrible at the second . Done a few marathons and half-marathons, but not in a couple of years (combination of horrendous shin splints, burnout and mentally just not enjoying it). Got into gym work, and circuit training since, and since the wife likes weight lifting acrossfit, I gave that a go and loved it. Had life issues and gym issues for a while, so I've not done anything for the last three months, but I'm getting myself back into it now. Started running again. Finding that groove and enjoying it. And I'm gonna go and chum the wife with her cross fitting as well. Quite looking forward t that one actually.

Daily. It's better than sitting around watching TV and I don't even need to leave the house.

Nope. Like a couple of other folk, I get nothing from exercise except stiff muscles and a headache. Yes, I did all the warmups properly. Yes, I drank water. Yes, I persevered until I started seeing positive results in terms of weight. And all the other little tricks and tips and doodads and wotsits that fitness nuts insist will "get you over the hump" and turn you into one of them. I still don't get anything except stiff muscles and a headache.

Honestly I'm beginning to suspect people who enjoy exercise are just closet masochists

Nope.

I just walk almost everywhere I go if I can get there within 30 minutes on foot.

That typically does the trick and saves me lots of money on gas/car maintenance.

Like many people, I get 0 enjoyment or endorphins from exercise.

 Azreal13 wrote:
There's a CBT thing (you might already have come across) that says if you're struggling for motivation, stop at the point where you could perform the task all over again. This is specifically so you don't negatively condition yourself to dislike what would otherwise be a positive action by overdoing it. Aside from not warming up and down correctly, trying to compete with what you see around you and running before you can walk is probably the most common reason for hurting yourself. Despite what I said in my post, the only person you're really competing with in the gym is yourself, if you're tired and sore beyond the point of just being a little stiff the next day you're probably over extending.

I feel you've misunderstood somewhat, at least for the last half of the post. I'm warming up/down fine, I drink plenty of water, I don't overexert, and I don't compete--hell, the only time I feel able to go to the gym are at times where there's nobody else there to compete with if I wanted to, and the vast majority aren't even doing to sort of things I do. As for the tiredness/soreness, the level I experience I believe to be perfectly normal given that I don't go very often, have pretty much only just started exercising for the first time since High School PE, and otherwise have lived a very sedentary life. It's certainly nowhere near bad enough that I can't function. I used to play a lot of tennis when I was younger and before I developed my bad knee, so it's nothing I've not experienced before. The first thing I did on joining was get a intro PT session to form a stuctured routine for what I want to accomplish, within the bounds of what I can do, and a plan on how to step it up once I'm familiar with it so I don't stagnate.

Currently, I just don't get anything positive out of it. It's not something I feel I'm doomed to, only the current situation. Maybe if I start making visible body progress it'll help, even if I'm not getting endorphins flowing.

(The CBT guff can take a hike. Nothing against you, I just got it rammed ineffectively down my throat for several years and I honestly can't stand it any more, but that's a whole other discussion I won't be having.)

 Desubot wrote:
Worked out for my back pain, Caused more back pain doing a stupid thing, then got surgery. i stopped working out and started dieting hard and lost about 50 pounds.

i probably should go back but eh :/

Do hip thrusts/bridges at home to bring your glute and hip flexor/tensor strength up. Even weightless it will help take care of some back pain.

Because my job makes me.

With that being said I also enjoy running and being outdoors. I believe it takes setting goals, being patient, dieting, getting enough sleep, and being ok with not being perfect all the time to really feel like you’re getting something out of the effort.

It will suck at the beginning but many people get to a point where they are addicted to the feeling that comes with working out.

 Yodhrin wrote:
Nope. Like a couple of other folk, I get nothing from exercise except stiff muscles and a headache. Yes, I did all the warmups properly. Yes, I drank water. Yes, I persevered until I started seeing positive results in terms of weight. And all the other little tricks and tips and doodads and wotsits that fitness nuts insist will "get you over the hump" and turn you into one of them. I still don't get anything except stiff muscles and a headache.

Honestly I'm beginning to suspect people who enjoy exercise are just closet masochists

'Exercise' is a really vague term. People who enjoy things like P90x or other odd little aerobic workouts make no sense whatsoever to me, but that's because those are basically fads.

Dieting is the most usless anoying thing i have ever herd. Eat what you want, when ever you want, do simple things every day like mabey 5 sits ups 5 push ups etc, just make sure its simple and nothing that's going to exhaust you and keep it up every day.

edited by ingtaer.

I used to as well. It helped me with depression as well. I don't really know why I stopped. I am always thinking I should start again, but I am lazy and waste all my free time on the internet and playing video games, so I never have the time left for it.
I have noticed I am starting to put on weight since I stopped. It is not that I am getting fat, just that I am no longer as skinny as I used to be (although since I used to be quite seriously underweight this may not be a bad thing).
Much worse than gaining weight however is the fact that I now get tired so much more quickly. I used to have quite a good condition and stamina, but that has just evaporated. I really should start running again. Maybe tomorrow... (even though that is what I said yesterday, and the day before that as well :( )

 Iron_Captain wrote:
I used to as well. It helped me with depression as well. I don't really know why I stopped. I am always thinking I should start again, but I am lazy and waste all my free time on the internet and playing video games, so I never have the time left for it.
I have noticed I am starting to put on weight since I stopped. It is not that I am getting fat, just that I am no longer as skinny as I used to be (although since I used to be quite seriously underweight this may not be a bad thing).
Much worse than gaining weight however is the fact that I now get tired so much more quickly. I used to have quite a good condition and stamina, but that has just evaporated. I really should start running again. Maybe tomorrow... (even though that is what I said yesterday, and the day before that as well :( )

Don't even worry about it, i'm in the same position as you and just do what im doing. Tomorrow do 5 push ups/10 sit ups etc etc etc, and then the next day do just 1 more extra of every thing. Don't start panicking and doing extreme exercises in my opinion

Yup. I'm required to be fit for work, plus I can go during work time, so I can cut away 2 hours early then go straight home when I'm done. The idea of getting fat scares me, and I like sweets so working out means I can eat them without worry Used to do long runs but that just gives me knee and shin pain now as I'm getting older, so now I do a mix of heavy strength lifting and short hiit cardio sessions. Me and my partner also do a hiit session on an evening as she wanted to tone up after having our daughter. My current goal is hitting double bodyweight on the deadlift. I'm about 5 kilos/14lb off right now. My only regret is not getting into proper strength lifting until now, for years I was a vanity mirror lifter( curls, chest press, never doing legs etc) and for that I am ashamed.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

 Stormatious wrote:
Dieting is the most usless anoying thing i have ever herd. Eat what you want, when ever you want, do simple things every day like mabey 5 sits ups 5 push ups etc, just make sure its simple and nothing that's going to exhaust you and keep it up every day.

edited by ingtaer.

Umm, this is pretty terrible advice.

 queen_annes_revenge wrote:
My current goal is hitting double bodyweight on the deadlift. I'm about 5 kilos/14lb off right now.

A few weeks and you'll be in the chasing 3x bodyweight gang. All the best!

Haha I dunno about 3x. If I can hit 200 kilos I'll be happy, but I think I'll be limited by the fact I don't really want to gain more mass. Need to keep lean ish so I can still perform well cardio wise.

 queen_annes_revenge wrote:
Yup. I'm required to be fit for work, plus I can go during work time, so I can cut away 2 hours early then go straight home when I'm done. The idea of getting fat scares me, and I like sweets so working out means I can eat them without worry Used to do long runs but that just gives me knee and shin pain now as I'm getting older, so now I do a mix of heavy strength lifting and short hiit cardio sessions. Me and my partner also do a hiit session on an evening as she wanted to tone up after having our daughter. My current goal is hitting double bodyweight on the deadlift. I'm about 5 kilos/14lb off right now. My only regret is not getting into proper strength lifting until now, for years I was a vanity mirror lifter( curls, chest press, never doing legs etc) and for that I am ashamed.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

 Stormatious wrote:
Dieting is the most usless anoying thing i have ever herd. Eat what you want, when ever you want, do simple things every day like mabey 5 sits ups 5 push ups etc, just make sure its simple and nothing that's going to exhaust you and keep it up every day.

edited by ingtaer.

Umm, this is pretty terrible advice.

I understand what you mean, but if you're a person that is unhealthy/overweight and just trying to get fit i do think a relaxed attitude and doing things slowly but surly is better then trying to join some sort of program where they tell you what to do, or trying to do extreme things. Who knows i'm probably completely incorrect.

Yeah you don't have to o go all out. But saying eat whatever you want is poor advice to someone wanting to get fitter. Diet is the place I'd start with. Reduce portion sizes, and reduce carb intake from the afternoon onwards, replacing it with more veg in meals. Then you can focus on physical activity. Small amounts, done daily. Aiming for half an hour. Doesn't have to be sweating out, even walking for that time is better than nothing. Sitting less is also an important message to get out there.

 queen_annes_revenge wrote:
Haha I dunno about 3x. If I can hit 200 kilos I'll be happy, but I think I'll be limited by the fact I don't really want to gain more mass. Need to keep lean ish so I can still perform well cardio wise.

How much do you weigh now? You don't need to be a monster to get close to bodyweight x3. I've squatted 220 at 82kg and currently deadlift 190 at 75kg - I'm very lean but I'm not very big - Size S almost all the time!

I wonder if there is a biological difference between people who get a buzz from exercise and those who feel nothing. I bet it is to do with neurotransmitters.

 Da Boss wrote:
I wonder if there is a biological difference between people who get a buzz from exercise and those who feel nothing. I bet it is to do with neurotransmitters.

Those who feel nothing are most likely not fit, or were not always fit. People who have been fit there whole lives see it different to those who actually are not fit and see it as a pain. So just depends on your lifes life style

nfe wrote:

 queen_annes_revenge wrote:
Haha I dunno about 3x. If I can hit 200 kilos I'll be happy, but I think I'll be limited by the fact I don't really want to gain more mass. Need to keep lean ish so I can still perform well cardio wise.

How much do you weigh now? You don't need to be a monster to get close to bodyweight x3. I've squatted 220 at 82kg and currently deadlift 190 at 75kg - I'm very lean but I'm not very big - Size S almost all the time!

I weigh 80kg and currently deadlift 155kg ORM(full lockout, double overhand) . I only started deadlifting properly last year so I'm happy with the progress so far. My grip is starting to affect how much I can pull though so I've been doing fat bar lifts, plate pinches, grippers etc to try and improve it. My target is 180 to 200kg


Automatically Appended Next Post:

 Da Boss wrote:
I wonder if there is a biological difference between people who get a buzz from exercise and those who feel nothing. I bet it is to do with neurotransmitters.

That probably is a factor but to be honest, I think it's more of a psychosomatic (?) thing, eg, people who exercise regularly know of the benefits and feel good knowing they've worked up a sweat strengthened their bodies that day. Honestly if I could maintain my strength and physique without lifting, I wouldn't lift at all.