My Love/Hate Relationship with Exercise (and How It Finally Changed)

If anyone had told me 30 years ago that at the age of 68 I would be exercising several times a day – and enjoying it – I would have laughed in their face. Loudly. At that point in my life I was married to a dentist with a busy practice and we had 2 young sons about 5 and 7 years old. Exercise was something I vaguely knew I should be doing but simply didn’t have the time to mess with. Looking back, I realize I didn’t just have a love/hate relationship with exercise — I had a broken mindset around movement, motivation, and what exercise was supposed to look like.

I felt somewhat ashamed about my lack of movement and that added guilt into the mix. But to be honest, one of the main reasons I didn’t exercise was because I just didn’t like doing it! I was, as you can imagine, completely out of shape. When I did try to do some type of workout, things hurt – everywhere! It was no fun at all, so when I finished a session I was in absolutely no hurry to repeat the experience.

I also eventually realized that my mental messages weren’t improving the situation one little bit. In fact, they were quietly sabotaging my motivation before I even started. The 2 things I told myself repeatedly were:

• I hate working out

• I hate getting hot and sweaty

I finally figured out that these messages, while true, weren’t helping. In fact, they were making things worse. I knew that if I wanted to get healthier, I had to change what I was saying to myself – but I didn’t have a clue how to do it. I knew that I couldn’t just start saying –

Oooh – I love working out!!! I love getting hot and sweaty!!!

Because I would laugh hysterically and keep right on going in the same unhealthy, overweight, out-of-shape direction. So I thought and prayed about it and came up with these revised mental messages.

• I love how I feel AFTER I finish working out.

• I love what exercise is doing to my body.

I could get behind both of those! They were true so I could say them with a straight face. And that’s exactly what I started to do. I wish I could tell you that within the next 6 months I lost a lot of weight, gained huge muscle tone, and went down several clothes sizes.

Crickets…crickets…crickets…

You notice I’m not saying any of that. All those things eventually happened, but instead of a few months, they were spread out over the next few years. The reason this took so long for me was that I was figuring things out as I went. I tried lots of different things; some worked well and others didn’t work at all. This was the beginning of my weight loss journey and my transformation into a healthier, happier person – not through extremes or perfection, but through consistency, mindset shifts, and sustainable habits.

Dr. Melissa Rich enjoying an active lifestyle with her grandson

To be honest, while my weight has dropped a lot, I’m still not exactly where I want to be. I’m still working on my last 10 pounds. But I’m down about 70-75 pounds from where I was at my heaviest. I say about, because when I was at my largest size, I refused to get on a scale. Denial is not just a river in Egypt!

So even though the weight is still a work in progress, one thing that has absolutely changed for the better is my relationship with exercise – and my overall exercise mindset. I work out – regularly – several times daily. I average 18,000-20,000 steps a day. I walk my dogs every day (weather permitting), I jump on my rebounder, I walk in place in front of my TV, and I have various tools that I use at home. I’m also a member of the local YMCA and I go 3 times a week to work out in the pool (water exercise is so good for your body!) when the weather is warm.

And this all stems from a day that I remember clearly about 38 years ago. I was sitting in my living room and needed to get up for something. I was about 30 years old and as I stood up, everything creaked. A lot of things hurt. I realized that I felt like an out-of-shape 80-year-old. I reluctantly acknowledged that I needed to make some changes if I didn’t want that to be my destiny.

Something I hadn’t anticipated was how exercise positively impacted every area of my life – not just my weight. I move easier, I sleep better, my focus has improved, my stress is much more manageable, I was able to get off blood pressure medication, and I feel and function so much better! I now use exercise for weight loss, general health, and stress relief – to name a few.

Dr. Rich after a walk with her dog Daisy

If any of this resonates with you, my hope is that you’ll be inspired to make some changes in your life as well. And yes, it IS possible to start exercising at any age – even after 60! This month I’ll be emphasizing exercise and easy ways to incorporate it into your life. Stay tuned and feel free to check my Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/docmrich and/or my Instagram page at https://www.instagram.com/docmrich/.

This month in my blog posts we’ll be looking at:

• Getting More Results from the Exercise You’re Already Doing (Smart, effective movement that works with your body — not against it)

• How to Fit Exercise into Your Schedule (Even When Time Is Tight)

• Changing Mental Messages About Exercise – because – Exercise Isn’t the Problem—the Message Is

If you’ve struggled with exercise, motivation, or consistency, please know this — you’re not broken, lazy, or failing. Often, it’s not your body that needs changing, but the messages running quietly in the background.

This month, I’ll be sharing simple, realistic ways to build a healthier relationship with exercise — no extremes, no pressure, just sustainable change that actually lasts.

👉 Follow along here on the blog this month — and join me on Facebook and Instagram for practical tips, encouragement, and simple ways to make exercise work for you, not against you.