I was talking with a friend recently who mostly walks for exercise, and during inclement weather this means treadmill walking. She mentioned that she really doesn't enjoy it (although she's disciplined enough to do it anyway) and it got me thinking: should exercise be fun?
There are frequent references to finding something you enjoy doing to make sure you get enough exercise. But we can see how that works for most people (who don't get enough exercise).
As kids, it was so much easier. We would just play: tag, hide-and-seek, etc. Even sports were usually just slightly more organized forms of play: street hockey, one-on-one basketball games, two-on-two touch football with a tiny plastic football. (We even made our own "league" for that one.)
Later, "play" was associated more with organized sports, like little league and hockey. (That's "ice hockey" for those in a foreign land.) But we still played for fun. (These days, most kids seem to either "play" video games or compete--with urging parents--in hyper-competitive sports. But that's another story.)
As we get older, it seems to be harder to find the time to "play." And to find activities that are fun to do. Over the years, I've enjoyed playing tennis, skiing (downhill and cross-country), backpacking, and of course martial arts (aka "wapping"). For some reason, tennis doesn't seem so fun anymore. Skiing is inconvenient. (Especially in the summer.) Backpacking even more so since leaving California. Even wapping has kind of lost some of its appeal.
What gives? At this rate, it looks like I'll wind up a couch potato in a few years.
But I do still work out. It's probably no coincidence that "workout" has "work" in it. Most people don't associate work (especially as in a job) with fun. (It could be that the "work" in "workout" refers to the physics of force times distance: F x D.) But plenty of people (like my friend) still exercise--or work out--regularly. What's that all about?
Believe it or not, I often don't find my workouts fun. But I still do them. Here are three reasons people exercise regularly.
- They enjoy it. My neighbor is an avid runner (and cyclist). He enjoys it and does one or the other nearly every day. I enjoy hiking but it's not readily available so is not a regular activity for me. Some people really enjoy yoga, or skiing, or other activities. This is probably the best motivation to exercise regularly.
- Socializing. Doing an activity with other people (who you enjoy being around) can be a great motivation to keep doing it. This can include all sorts of classes: yoga, Zumba, martial arts, dance, spinning, etc. There are also clubs, like running and cycling clubs. There are group fitness classes, including CrossFit. There are team sports like softball, hockey, etc. Any activity you do with one or more people can be socially enjoyable.
- Brain buzz. Exercise releases hormones ("endorphins") that tend to make us feel good (think "runner's high"). That's one big reason that people do workouts that suck: they know they'll feel good after. This is a big driver for me personally. Doing wapping rounds and 4x10s on Muay Thai pads is grueling. But having done it feels great. Weight-lifting workouts--especially heavy ones--elicit a similar effect for me. Feeling good after (and potentially for quite a while) can be more motivating than feeling good during.
If you can find something that combines two or three of these motivators, you should find it even easier to keep it up on a regular basis.
These are not the only motivators, of course. Some people are just motivated by the benefits of exercise: being slimmer, living longer, feeling better, or whatever.
Some people do what are sometimes called "punch the clock" workouts: they get in, do their thing, and get out. "Punch the clock" fits in nicely with the "work" in "workout," doesn't it?
You might also train for a future event, such as a marathon, trekking in the Himalayas, a cycling tour in France, or even a beach holiday. Indeed, we normally associate "training" with a specific goal, like training camp for professional sports or training for a competition. This kind of training might not be fun while your doing it, but knowing that it's for some future fun (and for some people, competing is fun) can certainly make it easier to do regularly.
So, should exercise be fun? Sure. But when it's not, do it anyway. There's always future fun.
Be seeing you.
-gary