Exercise is one of the least enjoyable activities there is. But if you don’t exercise, you are much less likely to live to a ripe old age. Your workouts can go from “How long do I have to endure this?” to actually looking forward to your workouts. How can this happen?
- First, you have to find the workout that’s right for you. It doesn’t matter if you don’t like exercise at all. There are exercises that people love.
- Second, you have to find the workout that fits in with the rest of your life. If you are the kind of person who can focus deeply for an hour, then an hour is long enough. If you are the kind of person who doesn’t focus at all, then an hour is too long.
- Third, you have to find someplace to do it that is a pleasant place. Often this is hard to find. Walking on a treadmill seems like the worst kind of torture, but it’s better than sitting in a stuffy gym.
- Fourth, you have to find people to do it with. This is not as hard as it sounds. Most gyms have machines you can use for free. And most gyms have classes.
- And fifth, you have to start slowly. Start with something easy, something you like, and work your way up.
A big part of it is that exercise is not much fun. It requires discipline. You have to tell your mind, “No, I will run, not walk away from this apple.” You have to tell your body, “No, I will not sit down, but stand up and walk.”
If everything else you do is routine, why not try something different? You could test fun new exercises from fitness magazines. You could try a new boot camp class. Or you could take an exercise class at a gym or community center.
