What got you into exercise as an adult?

WanderinWonderWanderinWonder Posts: 3,719
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For all those who felt discouraged from taking part in sport at school, how have you managed to embrace exercise/sport as an adult?

I was given little to no encouragement at school and have fallen into the habit of barely exercising at all (save for the occasional country walk which I do enjoy).

I'd like to change things while I still can but, knowing myself as well as I do, I realise that the only exercise I'm likely to stick at is the fun variety. I'm not the kind of person who is motivated purely by fitness (so I'm not likely to stick to regular solo runs or hours at the gym by myself). To keep my motivation up, it needs to be a fun, sociable activity.

So I was wondering if any of you have to taken to physical activity later in life and what form of exercise got you going again?

The type of activities I'd likely be interested in pursuing are: winter sports such as ice skating or skiing (not very well catered to where I'm living), swimming, cycling, or water sports. Any other ideas? :)
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  • shaggy_xshaggy_x Posts: 3,599
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    I was never into sports as a kid and over the years have been putting weight on. Turned 42 earlier this year then one day I woke up thinking I really need to make an effort losing weight. 6 months later I've lost 10kg and am running regularly and working my way to doing regular 5k runs hopefully in the next 4 weeks or so. Plan to do the great Yorkshire 10k run next year, maybe a half marathon too if I feel it's in me.

    Running is the last thing I thought if enjoy but I love it! I did 5k on the treadmill this morning and body is aching all over. The satisfaction afterwards is amazing
  • NX-74205NX-74205 Posts: 4,691
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    Nothing got me into it, I've always tried to keep myself in shape.
  • xxTinkerbellexxxxTinkerbellexx Posts: 4,495
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    London 2012 got me off the sofa. Was fed up of being a couch potato. Fed up of joining gyms and not going after 3 weeks. So decided to take up a sport. I now play hockey regularly and a member of a club. Never touched a hockey stick in my life prior to that. I'm the team captain and I'm over 40 :)
  • maidinscotlandmaidinscotland Posts: 5,648
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    I've been the opposite, was always a sporty and athletic child and used to run for the school team. I turned 18, discovered alcohol and boys and late nights and it all went downhill from there! My tightening waistline and growing belly has got me down today though so I am going to get out and start doing some power walking this week....it's a start...
  • WanderinWonderWanderinWonder Posts: 3,719
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    shaggy_x wrote: »
    I was never into sports as a kid and over the years have been putting weight on. Turned 42 earlier this year then one day I woke up thinking I really need to make an effort losing weight. 6 months later I've lost 10kg and am running regularly and working my way to doing regular 5k runs hopefully in the next 4 weeks or so. Plan to do the great Yorkshire 10k run next year, maybe a half marathon too if I feel it's in me.

    Running is the last thing I thought if enjoy but I love it! I did 5k on the treadmill this morning and body is aching all over. The satisfaction afterwards is amazing

    Good for you shaggy! :)

    It's true that we can sometimes discover a love for something we never, ever thought we would.

    I just feel for me, it needs to be something really fun (and sociable). I love the idea of getting into ice skating in particular - I love how you can combine it with music and it's elegant and graceful, like dancing. And even better, despite being overweight, I actually am quite good at keeping myself up on skates - I seem to have a natural ability with it. :)
  • WanderinWonderWanderinWonder Posts: 3,719
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    NX-74205 wrote: »
    Nothing got me into it, I've always tried to keep myself in shape.

    That's great, but this is aimed at those who were put off exercise at school.
  • .Lauren..Lauren. Posts: 7,864
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    Was very sporty as a teenager and at uni. Started work, didn't have as much time for exercise. Put on weight, started exercise to shift weight and now I'm back into it.
  • WanderinWonderWanderinWonder Posts: 3,719
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    London 2012 got me off the sofa. Was fed up of being a couch potato. Fed up of joining gyms and not going after 3 weeks. So decided to take up a sport. I now play hockey regularly and a member of a club. Never touched a hockey stick in my life prior to that. I'm the team captain and I'm over 40 :)

    Well done Tinkerbelle :) .

    Hockey kind of appeals to me, well ice hockey does! Curling too - I seem to have a thing for winter sports. I loved skiing the one time I got to do it, such a shame it's such an expensive inaccessible hobby!
  • WanderinWonderWanderinWonder Posts: 3,719
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    I've been the opposite, was always a sporty and athletic child and used to run for the school team. I turned 18, discovered alcohol and boys and late nights and it all went downhill from there! My tightening waistline and growing belly has got me down today though so I am going to get out and start doing some power walking this week....it's a start...

    Interesting, the perils of the demon drink. :D

    Power walking is a great start. Walking is the one thing I know I like to do most often, nothing like going for a walk up in the hills or along a beach. :)
  • LostFoolLostFool Posts: 90,623
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    For a lot of friends I know in their 40s it was often a health scare that got them off the sofa after years of abusing their bodies and neglecting themselves. You start to realise that you can't drink, smoke, slob around and eat crap like you could when you were younger and get away with it.

    I haven't got around to doing any exercise (always been allergic to it) but I have lost 2 stone this year just by drinking less and eating better.
  • shaggy_xshaggy_x Posts: 3,599
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    Good for you shaggy! :)

    It's true that we can sometimes discover a love for something we never, ever thought we would.

    I just feel for me, it needs to be something really fun (and sociable). I love the idea of getting into ice skating in particular - I love how you can combine it with music and it's elegant and graceful, like dancing. And even better, despite being overweight, I actually am quite good at keeping myself up on skates - I seem to have a natural ability with it. :)

    What got me into running was a few people at work do it regularly and that sort of urged me to do it too. I've been a pure gym regular for well over a year but never really lost any weight despite going 2-3 times a week. Then I disxovered it's not just about going to the gym but changing your diet too. Fast forward 6 months or so and I've lost so much weight I've amazed myself and others too.

    I recently disxovered a website called parkrun.org.uk . They do regular free park runs of 5k every Saturday at 9. There's likely to be one near you. It's a good way to meet like minded people who are not just runners but do other sports so why not give it a try?

    A few weeks back I started using an app call nhs choices from couch to 5k. The aim is to get couch potatoes running 5k in 9 weeks. I am about half way through this and trust me, week 1 I was truly a couch potato who could barely run 100m without catching my breath and stopping!!! This morning I ran 5k non stop on the treadmill and I plan on doing this in the park in the next few weeks :)

    My point is, if your stuck on something to do and want to get active, start with somethjng like running to get you up and about. Do what I did and use that app as a personal trainer. If running doesn't do it for you, find yourself a team sport like the poster above who found hockey. There's bound to be clubs in your area so do a quick search online and get in touch with them.

    I really really want to do tae kwon do bit feel over 40 It's too late for me :(
  • Flat MattFlat Matt Posts: 7,023
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    LostFool wrote: »
    For a lot of friends I know in their 40s it was often a health scare that got them off the sofa after years of abusing their bodies and neglecting themselves. You start to realise that you can't drink, smoke, slob around and eat crap like you could when you were younger and get away with it.

    ^This, basically.

    I'm in my 40s, my cholesterol is so high that I'm one step away from needing medication for it, and my stomach has expanded so much that part of my bowel is visibly protruding through my abdominal muscles!

    I've completely changed my lifestyle over the last few months... funnily enough! :D
  • shaggy_xshaggy_x Posts: 3,599
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    LostFool wrote: »
    For a lot of friends I know in their 40s it was often a health scare that got them off the sofa after years of abusing their bodies and neglecting themselves. You start to realise that you can't drink, smoke, slob around and eat crap like you could when you were younger and get away with it.

    I haven't got around to doing any exercise (always been allergic to it) but I have lost 2 stone this year just by drinking less and eating better.


    Oh yeah I forgot to mention - a health scare is what kicked me off the sofa and start taking my life seriously. I never thought I'd enjoy exercise until I was forced into action
  • LostFoolLostFool Posts: 90,623
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    shaggy_x wrote: »
    What got me into running was a few people at work do it regularly and that sort of urged me to do it too. I've been a pure gym regular for well over a year but never really lost any weight despite going 2-3 times a week. Then I disxovered it's not just about going to the gym but changing your diet too. Fast forward 6 months or so and I've lost so much weight I've amazed myself and others too.(

    I've read that weight loss is 80% diet 20% exercise. It's amazing how much exercise it takes just to burn a few hundred calories. It's better not to eat them in the first place.

    I know a few people who have said the Couch to 5K programme is excellent so I really should give it a go.
  • Flash525Flash525 Posts: 8,862
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    Some seven or eight years ago, in an attempt to lose weight, I joined a gym, and shed quite a bit. I've since tired of the gym environment though, however remain a keen cyclist (averaging a good 50mile ride each weekend) and a runner (when my knee isn't playing up).
  • OmlOml Posts: 319
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    I was a fat kid at school so PE was like torture and put me off sport 100% but when I went to uni I joined the gym and it was amazing. I don't understand people who hate the gym, i think it's great. You could go in, do your own thing, there was no judgement, no being the worst in the team. In fact I became a bit of an exercise addict during that time (I was a student with a lot of free time) I was also in brilliant shape during that time.

    Nowadays with working and looking after a family, I don't get to exercise as much as I want to but I have discovered metafit which is fantastic as it's short but very intense. I'm not that into classes normally due to my lack of coordination but metafit is brill because you just work at your own pace and the exercises are pretty straightforward so it's easy to follow. I love it!

    For me I enjoy exercise as an individual, I could never to team sports, I like to do my own thing.
  • shaggy_xshaggy_x Posts: 3,599
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    LostFool wrote: »
    I've read that weight loss is 80% diet 20% exercise. It's amazing how much exercise it takes just to burn a few hundred calories. It's better not to eat them in the first place.

    I know a few people who have said the Couch to 5K programme is excellent so I really should give it a go.

    I can't recommend c25k highly enough. It's like a personal trainer in your headphones while you run. One thing I hate about the gym is I can't train very good most of the time as I am rubbish at doing so on my own. With this app you have someone pushing you to work that little bit harder.
  • LostFoolLostFool Posts: 90,623
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    Oml wrote: »
    I was a fat kid at school so PE was like torture and put me off sport 100% but when I went to uni I joined the gym and it was amazing. I don't understand people who hate the gym, i think it's great. You could go in, do your own thing, there was no judgement, no being the worst in the team. In fact I became a bit of an exercise addict during that time (I was a student with a lot of free time) I was also in brilliant shape during that time.

    I was the opposite. I was fairly thin and active at school but at University I discovered beer and lived on crap food.
  • xxTinkerbellexxxxTinkerbellexx Posts: 4,495
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    Well done Tinkerbelle :) .

    Hockey kind of appeals to me, well ice hockey does! Curling too - I seem to have a thing for winter sports. I loved skiing the one time I got to do it, such a shame it's such an expensive inaccessible hobby!

    Thanks :) If you live in Nottingham it's quite big up there.

    I love ice hockey. Watching it though. :d
  • shaggy_xshaggy_x Posts: 3,599
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    I was surprised to see curling is a sport which requires a lot of energy , so you need to be physically fit.

    Sounds like a good sport to try.
  • HogzillaHogzilla Posts: 24,116
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    At school I thought of myself as 'unsporty' and I loathed team sports. Yet, when I look back now I realise I was cycling and walking everywhere, (in a very hilly place), and playing hours of tennis every week.

    After I left school, I was a keen cyclist. Now, in middle age am a keen cyclist (60 -70 miles every week). I find myself smiling like an idiot and feel 12 again, on a bike. Have noticed on our local Sustrans track, some days the vast majority of cyclists are 40 or 50 plus. Many of the runners, too. I wonder if it is because we had more active childhoods than many kids do now, so there is some normality in being outside and active? Maybe, maybe not.

    I did run for a while and did an early version of Couch Potato - 5K, but don't enjoy running any more. Cycling, though, I never get bored of.
  • Duffman2000Duffman2000 Posts: 1,372
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    Because of I felt jealous of Tom Daley. :blush:
  • Pumping IronPumping Iron Posts: 29,891
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    I was never into the conventional school sports, football, hockey, tennis, rugby, cricket etc. I was quite a late developer so was one of the shortest guys in my year for a long time.

    However when I did finally develop, I started the gym at a similar time and found I progressed pretty quickly. I joined a powerlifting club at aged 17 and was competing soon after. I never got any respect from the school PE teachers when young, but by 6th form I was outlifting them all by a long way and that changed. Competition and enjoying being strong is what got me hooked.
  • Duffman2000Duffman2000 Posts: 1,372
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    I was never into the conventional school sports, football, hockey, tennis, rugby, cricket etc. I was quite a late developer so was one of the shortest guys in my year for a long time.

    However when I did finally develop, I started the gym at a similar time and found I progressed pretty quickly. I joined a powerlifting club at aged 17 and was competing soon after. I never got any respect from the school PE teachers when young, but by 6th form I was outlifting them all by a long way and that changed. Competition and enjoying being strong is what got me hooked.
    I started at the gym aged 17....... :blush:
  • Pumping IronPumping Iron Posts: 29,891
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    I started at the gym aged 17....... :blush:

    I would have been 16 when I first went to a proper gym, but I did get an Argos vinyl concrete filled set for my 15th. I couldn't bench 35lbs when I first started!
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