Mark Greif's "Against Exercise" offers a much more thorough criticism, e.g.:
"Today we really can preserve ourselves for a much longer time. The means of preservation are reliable and cheap. The haste to live one's mortal life diminishes. The temptation toward perpetual preservation grows. We preserve the living corpse in an optimal state, not so we may do something with it, but for its own good feelings of eternal fitness, confidence, and safety. We hoard our capital to earn interest, and subsist each day on crusts of bread. But no one will inherit our good health after we've gone. The hours of life maintenance vanish with the person."
I'd post a link, but I don't think a public one exists. You can read the whole essay in his "Against Everything" compilation.
This assumes fitness is about prolonging looks and life, rather than an enjoyable hobby. If I had 24 hours left to live I would definitely hit the gym.
This has not been my experience at all - exercise is like cleaning, saving money, or cooking. Something you get through because you should, because there are negative consequences if you don’t, which can be mildly satisfying to have done, but which absolutely sucks in the moment.
Lifting for me is almost a sort of meditation. I don't listen to music and I'm extremely conscience of my breathing. This probably sounds silly, but in the thick of it it's almost like I'm having a conversation with my body. I'm exerting so much force the only thing my brain can think is "am I activating the right muscles? can I safely do another rep?" There's something magical about the last rep slow grind, it's like a drug. The gym is the best part of my day hands down. There's something to be said about a consistent progression path as well.
Running is alright too. It's not anywhere near as fun as lifting for me, and the first 5 minutes is annoying, but once I'm in the zone I enjoy it. I only log 3 or 4 3.5 mile sessions a week though. FWIW it took me a long time to be in decent enough shape to enjoy running.
I exercise because it's fun, and allows me to do fun things like hiking in the wilderness. It's much more fun to hike when fit. Also cardiovascular exercise improves many aspects of brain function, which I'd regard as a plus.
I like exercising too. But I specifically like doing it outside. The gym has no appeal to me because I like being a part of the wider world when I exercise and feel that paying for the privilage to exercise is ridiculous.
A more nuanced critque might consider whether some forms of exercise have a higher cost than their reward (e.g. they are really boring or expensive).
I've never thought of exercise as a way of prolonging life. I think modern medicine does a better job of that then me running 25 miles a week will ever do. Quality of life? I think exercise helps a lot with that. If nothing else it's a pleasurable experience on it's own terms. It's pleasing at the moment and in looking forward to or back on the time you've put in. It improves the quality of your life when you're not engaged as much as when you are.
"Today we really can preserve ourselves for a much longer time. The means of preservation are reliable and cheap. The haste to live one's mortal life diminishes. The temptation toward perpetual preservation grows. We preserve the living corpse in an optimal state, not so we may do something with it, but for its own good feelings of eternal fitness, confidence, and safety. We hoard our capital to earn interest, and subsist each day on crusts of bread. But no one will inherit our good health after we've gone. The hours of life maintenance vanish with the person."
I'd post a link, but I don't think a public one exists. You can read the whole essay in his "Against Everything" compilation.