It's so true that exercise makes you "bad" tired after you've been sedentary for a long time; and then after you've exercised more regularly, it makes you "good" tired. But one more thing that goes into the mix, maybe not as much but it still has an effect, is goals. When I first started becoming more active in my late 30's, I wanted to train for a 5K fun run and also bike a century. At the time, I told myself I didn't care how I did, I just wanted to finish somewhere in the middle. After training awhile and looking at people's finish times for events on websites, I saw that I wasn't going to be in the middle - I'd be behind that - towards the back. It was discouraging to think that after lots of training and hard work, I'd still be in the back.

Now, after being more active for awhile, it's fun and it feels good. The endorphins feel good, having energy feels good, and being tired after exercising feels good. Most importantly, it's a habit and a long-term change. But when first getting started, "why bother if I don't get ______ result?" can be a big obstacle.

Deb