Best workouts for people who hate to exercise

Look. I see you–thinking how you should use this time at home to get in shape. Well, okay, maybe you *think* you should be thinking this. If you’re anything like me, you know it’s probably important to exercise, but you just don’t care. Maybe you’re healthy-ish, possibly regulating yourself a little on comfort snack foods, but not quite chubby (I mean, yet…). But also, for a variety of reasons, you hate to exercise. (Hang in there–I have some tips for the best workouts if you hate to exercise, but first, let’s find our collective why.)

Here’s the thing: yes, you should be exercising, even when you are trapped at home and don’t wanna. And even if you hate to work out. Here is why you need to work out, even if you hate to exercise:

Because how are you going to get away from the zombies in the next apocalypse if you have no strength and no stamina?

This is really reason enough to work out right now. Because someday, this weird time of self-isolating and the world figuring out it’s new normal will be over and we’ll just get back to our new regular lives. And when the zombies (or aliens!) come, you are going to wish you could outrun a few people so you weren’t easily plucked off the back of the group. Like a straggling gazelle.

DON’T BE A STRAGGLING GAZELLE

With this in mind, lemme share what has worked for me. (<-though, don’t share this info because we really do need a few people who can’t outrun us when the time comes.)

Here are the best workouts if you hate to exercise (but want to keep ahead of the zombies/aliens/a few slower people):

1. 7 minute workout (the Johnson & Johnson 7 Minute Workout–FREE app or for desktop)

   One of the (many) reasons I hate to work out is because of the precious, precious minutes it takes out of my day. By the time I find my shoes, get workout clothes on, and care, it’s been 20 minutes and my care has left. So when I heard about this workout, I was intrigued. I wondered if it was a) going to be lame or b) boring, but it wasn’t.

   It was designed by an exercise physiologist and it is a surprisingly thorough workout. I am always a bit sore after doing this workout. You can modify it, do a longer ‘Smart’ workout or add in a warm up or cooldown. Some days I literally just do the 7 minutes. You don’t need any equipment and you don’t need to change into exercise clothes.

   And HONESTLY, I sometimes make myself do it because it is only 7 minutes and I’m like: Really, Melissa? You seriously ‘don’t have time to workout?’ Every single person reading this can find 7 minutes to do this. All you need is 7 minutes and a step or a kitchen chair. That’s it. 7 minutes a day is what stands between you and the zombies.

2.  Looking for a bit of variety? Try a few of these 50 free workouts online.

   Another reason I hate to exercise is because it’s kinda hard and kinda boring. But if you can make it FUN and a little distracting, I don’t hate it (as much). Kickboxing, cardio dance, yoga–there are a TON of workouts online. I am gonna try one of the barre classes (because it makes me feel like a pretty ballerina). From beginners (or low enthusiasts like moi) to more intense/longer workouts, try a few until you find one you hate less than usual. Or, may I recommend the 7 minute workout? Because even if you don’t like it, it’s only 7 minutes.

3.  When all else fails (or you need to get.out.of.the.house and away.from.your.people) go on a walk or a run.

   A medium-paced walk in the fresh air counts as exercise. Don’t diminish the effort! It all matters because it will build up your stamina for running away from the zombies/aliens. The alternative to NOT at least stepping outside and walking is that those muscles don’t move and if they don’t move, the weaken. Yep. Use it or lose it. Meaning, use it or lose it to being an alien snack.

   What I like about running (to be clear, I DO NOT LIKE RUNNING), but what I like ABOUT running is that I can do it pretty much anywhere. A few years ago a group of very patient and kind friends conned me into running with them and so I learned a little about what I need to not hate running so much (a proper pair of running shoes is pretty much it for my 1-2 mile runs. I don’t even need water for that short of a trip). It helps if you can go with a friend, but these days, I go for a run to get away from the people I am trapped with in my house. (That sounds so fancy, ‘go for a run’. Please be assured, it is not fancy. I am not a chic runner.)

   If you want to chat about a good running playlist, move along, this is not the blog you are looking for. (Though, to be fair, I do feel pretty epically cool when I have some good tunes and I am jogging around the block.) (<-Because I don’t go far. Because I hate to run.) For a little info about how to run for complete beginners, check this blog out for runners.

   When I started ‘running’, I literally asked my dear friend how to run and had her watch me to make sure I was doing it right, so you are already doing better than I was.
   

   Why this matters

   Look, you hate to exercise, *I* hate to exercise, but in the long run (<-not an actual run, to be clear), we both would hate to die of something stupid because we hate to exercise. (7 minutes! We can do it!) In the short term, we just need to not be the slowest in the pack of people running from the zombies/aliens.

   DON’T BE THE STRAGGLING GAZELLE

   You can hate to exercise and still do it. 7 minutes. Start there. Because zombies.

    

    

   (Thanks to Yayan Sopian on Unsplash for the image!)