What Would You Do to Get Out of Exercise for the Rest of Your Life?

family, Fitness, happiness, health related issues, humor, lessons learned, retirement, sports, Teaching and Education, travel 1 Minute

Maybe I’m one of the lucky ones, but I’ve always enjoyed getting in a good workout.

But despite the well-known benefits, both physical and mental, of exercise, many people would rather avoid it altogether.

A recent poll of 2,000 people who frequently exercise, conducted by OnePoll on behalf of AI-based fitness and lifestyle coaching app Freeletics, found some surprising results about what people would do to avoid working out for the rest of their lives:

  • 25 percent would be willing to text their ex
  • 25 percent would cancel Netflix for a year
  • 29 percent would reconnect with their high school bully
  • 33 percent would spend a long weekend with the in-laws
  • 34 percent say they’d be willing to hand wash all their dishes

One of the first thoughts I had when looking at the list is that many people do these things voluntarily, perhaps even happily.

If I were asked this question, it would have to be something dramatic to make me give up exercise.

Off the top of my head, that might be things like:

  • if I never had to make a mortgage payment again, I might give up exercise
  • if I could retire early, I might give up exercise
  • if I never had to explain FIFO vs. LIFO again, I might give up exercise
  • if I could spend half the year traveling around the globe, I might give up exercise

But as I thought about it, if I do keep exercising, eventually I’ll retire, which means I won’t have to explain FIFO vs LIFO, my mortgage will eventually be paid off, and at that point, I’ll be able to do lots of travel.

And as a result of all that exercise, I’ll be better able to enjoy my retirement and all of my travel.

Seems like a small price to pay to work up a bit of sweat each day.

So forget about texting your ex, calling up an old bully, or canceling Netflix, just get out there and do it.

But do the dishes too, perhaps while staying at your in-laws…

*image from ABC Everyday

Published by Jim Borden

A 60-something guy trying to figure out the world, and his place in it. Happily married for 40-plus years, three wonderful sons. Accounting teacher, fitness enthusiast, blogger, reader.

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82 thoughts on “What Would You Do to Get Out of Exercise for the Rest of Your Life?”

  1. Oh gosh, kind of crazy. They would rather contact a bully than exercise?? Hand wash all their dishes?? That’s real crazy! I mean now, if I was living alone I wouldn’t mind hand washing my dishes, but the dishes that my family accumulates, No thanks!
    I am like you, I don’t mind exercise, though I should stress that I don’t exactly do strenuous exercise. I like walking, that’s my exercise. 🙂

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  2. I can’t imagine how your would travel Europe without doing any exercise, Jim, you walk your legs to short stubs in Europe and the UK. As for FIFO and LIFO, come on, Jim, it’s so interesting I thing you should do a blog post about it [haha].

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    1. good point, Robbie. It would be nearly impossible to travel through Europe with out doing a good deal of walking. That’s one of my favorite things about Europe. And as for a post about LIFE/FIFO, it’s bad enough that I put my students to sleep, I don’t want to do that to my blog readers 🙂

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  5. I like to eat, so exercise is my saving grace. Unfortunately, the body parts are starting to show their wear and tear. One of my hips started bothering me for the first time, which is a bit concerning. I’ve already got arthritis, a bad back, and a knee that has undergone two operations. Lots of ailments, depending on what decides to trouble me each day. Active mind and body are still the only way to go for me.

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  6. I don’t mind exercise, and would actually like having to do more… There isn’t much opportunity to do exercise for me recently…

    Though not having to pay any more mortgage seems like a nice incentive to stop exercising…

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  7. But surely the point of the question is that we’d get all the benefits without having to do the exercise? Otherwise why do it anyway? If that’s the deal, I’m in!
    (Apart from the dogs still wanting their walk – I can’t see them agreeing to my pact with the devil.)

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  9. i love to walk so i don’t even think of it as a forced march, and like brad, i wash my dishes by hand, so hope i’m covered. and no, i won’t give up my flamin’ hot cheetos for anything. who would?

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  10. Exercise and I have never been good friends. I’m not sure what incentive I need to take it up. I’ve tried a few times and might last a week or two or even more, but then I revert to my old sedentary ways. I know I’ll probably regret it one day, but, why do something I don’t enjoy?

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  11. I exercise every morning for about 20 minutes… sit ups, push ups, a couple of weight exercises and some stretching. I pretty much hate it. The only way I’d give that up is if I could get the benefits of the exercise without doing it. Then there are my activities which include running, biking, mountain biking and hiking. I don’t think of these as exercises, the are the primary activity I want to do. I wouldn’t give them up for anything. I feel bad for people who make comments like “my favorite part of the run is when I stop”. For me, the best part of the run is deep in the middle.

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  19. Anything is better than washing dishes! I’ve realised that as I get older (I’m 67) and my knees get stiffer, if I don’t exercise, I seize up. I just about tolerate the gym but actually enjoy heavy gardening. It’s the best exercise and enjoyable! Also 3 grandkids give me a good workout.

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    1. I’m glad you find the exercise helps with your stiffness, and that you have found a form of exercise that you enjoy with the gardening. And I am sure keeping up with three kids is a fun way to get in some exercise…

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  21. Yes, I already do most of the things on that list. But I also quit working out! The knees won’t allow it!! And even when they did, I hated most exercise that wasn’t “circus based” or burlesque!!

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  24. I enjoy exercise when I’m focused and in it.. I have to be “in” that phase otherwise if I know I’m not going to stick with it then I’m not motivated to start…. Now… To get back in said phase.. That’s the issue!

    And you’re right, I already do most of those things listed (wash dishes by hand, don’t have Netflix, happy to spend time with my in-laws) ❤️🤣

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  26. Ditto! Exercise keeps both my body and mind healthy. It also gives me some moments freed from the other details of the day . . . just me and my nature walk or an indoor bike tour. Hopefully in your eventual retirement, you will finally be freed from the perpetual discussion of LIFO vs. FIFO.

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      1. When I was teaching in western Montana many years ago, the high school librarian was a LIFO type of guy. Last in during the morning before school and first out after school . . . sometimes he beat the students out the door.

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  29. So many different forms of torture! As a proverbial sloth who has only participated sporadically in any kind of physical exercise throughout my life until finally settling on walking as a form of mindfulness meditation (as endorsed by Tippy Gnu), I have been able to justify my usual exercise non habit as follows.

    One of several physical therapists I have employed, and probably the only one who was also a Baby Boomer, told the story of how one of his trainers told him in his youth that all the inadvertent and generally unfelt damage he was doing to his body (especially his joints) then would more likely and almost certainly not be felt until much later in his life. So, if I had been more active in my youth, I would probably be in more pain with more limited mobility now.

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  30. My friends are now in their early seventies and though not ‘work out’ types they have no car and have walked every single day since the first lock down, walk to do shopping and appointments etc. Throughout my late husband’s illness and our Covid isolation ( front garden visits only ) and my chemotherapy she has loyally visited every week. I am so glad to get out gardening and walking in third good week of chemo sessions. The only time until this past year or so that I have been stuck indoors was my three caesareans ten days in hospital each time. As soon as I was out leaning on the pram to go for a walk! Sea swimming and aquarobics are favourites of mine also and I would not want to do anything to avoid exercise. Ps Though my husband’s cancer diagnosis was never going to have a good outcome, after chemotherapy and even during he had a good year of walking and up and down cliff tops; you would never know anything was wrong till things eventually went downhill quickly.

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    1. thank you for sharing that inpsirational message. It’s so wonderful to hear that have been able to get out walking and gardening. And impressive that you were walking so soon after your caesareans. And that must have been hard to reconcile your husband’s cancer with his ability to go out and walk and appear healthy…

      Have a great day!

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      1. Yes Jim, when you are diagnosed with cancer you have a very thorough check up before treatment and compared with lots of people in their sixties it was sadly ironic that his heart and lungs were in excellent order, no diabetes or high blood pressure.

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