Do your resolutions about exercise come and go? It happens to the best of us. Reasons for this generally start like “I couldn’t because…” and go off to sound like something that is convincing – to ourselves anyway.
What a lot of the dilemma boils down to is that you’ve got to like what you do. Be realistic. If the idea of exercising is not attractive, then you won’t be joining in the effort.
However, there is the “Something is better than nothing” school of thought that gets plenty of folks up off their couch and enjoying an active lifestyle. And yes, I did use the word “enjoy” in the same sentence as the word exercise.
Natural Events That Feel New
Exercise is about moving, not hurting. The purpose and the experience are about feeling good. Mother Nature just has a sense of humor about our feeling good. Seriously
- Observation #1: Our minds lie to us about how our bodies feel.
When contemplating getting out and moving, the lies begin. “It’s too hot/cold to work out.” “It’s too early/late to go to the gym.” “I’m sure my foot is broken.” Any idea the mind can dream up to make you stop, it will.
This is normal.
Mental chatter about how bad things will be if you move is just something that we all contend with for most exercise sessions. We just learn to acknowledge it (“Thank you for sharing”) and move on.
- Observation #2: Yes, there is a little discomfort with starting exercise.
This is why we warm-up. Slow and easy movements that mimic the full activity we are planning to start. A gentle walk before the run. Lifting light weights before adding more. A gentle low gear spin to loosen up the legs on the bike. And yes, there should be a little sweat. (Because it’s a warm-up. Duh!) Whatever the activity, just use a lower impact version to warm-up.
Funny thing also happens to those pesky thoughts about the body parts hurting or not working. They stop nagging.
- Observation #3: Pushing boundaries is how we grow.
Nobody says you have to be an athlete. Your choice. Sometimes just pushing past those nagging thoughts to get moving is all the challenge we want or need. Other times it may be to get physically stronger or set a new personal record (PR).
Whatever your goals, watch them change with time. When you exceed them, you grow physically AND as a person. Words to describe the feelings of accomplishment always fall short but achieving goals are essential to making us who we are.
- Observation #4: Cooling down at the end of a workout is just as important as warming up.
So you’ve gotten past all of those ideas about how you were not up to a workout today. Your exercise session is ending. Endorphins and enkephalins (really good feeling brain chemicals) are flowing through your bloodstream and you are convinced that you are trained into a superhuman state.
Time to slow down. Really.
Gradually slowing down the body serves a similar purpose as the warm-up. A transition from one state of being to another. Moving the body into a progressively quieter state allows the mind to catch up.
Cooling down is also a great time to enjoy the body awareness that follows. All can feel right with the world in these moments. (Trust me on this.) Memories of these moments are a big reason for coming back.
- Observation #5: Injuries do sometimes occur.
When you listen to your body often, you learn to notice difference between pain and discomfort. With your internal dialogue already being familiar (see Observation #1), an injury will be a different conversation.
Your body is the best healer but when in doubt, consult an expert and listen to them. There are times to allow things to heal. Other times you can still remain active (think: warm-up, not workout). Knowing which one is best is better coming from someone not emotionally invested, like you. Talk with a doc or qualified professional.
- Observation #6: Getting older is tough.
Yes, there are more complaints with an older body but gentle exercise takes care of most of them. Humility is a large lesson to learn as we age. Accepting that you’re probably not going to be the strongest on the block anymore (if you ever were) is tough for everyone.
You’ve got to love social media like Strava. We can still compete with youngster (and sometimes beat their efforts!) but mostly we just compete against ourselves. Trying to one-up myself is realistic and constructive. The Millennials? Probably less so.
Explaining Exercise – You Can’t
There are lots of logical reasons to exercise. Weight control, body image, mental sharpness, self-esteem, general Health, even disease management. All are positively influenced by adding regular movement into one’s lifestyle.
However the best reason is the least logical. Exercise makes us feel good. Whether it is the emotion of concluding a satisfying workout or just liking the person we see in the mirror, exercise gives us that emotional fix that keeps us going.
It’s all about adding quality to Life.
You cannot explain the magic of a good run; it must be experienced.
― Toni Sorenson
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