Trick Exercise

My last two posts were about how I don't know how to play any sports and how I trick my son into hiking with me without knowing he's hiking. This one is going to be somewhat related- it's about not being bored while exercising by tricking myself.

I recently learned that I actually really like exercise. It was always this thing I tolerated for health's sake, but in the last few months, I've really enjoyed it. I like how my brain seems to finally focus afterward. I like the feeling of my muscles stretching a bunch. I like endorphins. I like my pants fitting slightly better. I've been going to the gym like 3-4 times a week even?

BUT here's what I learned: just going to the gym is really boring. The only way I can enjoy exercise is by tricking myself. It would be great if I DID know how to play any sports, because that's basically what playing sports is all about, tricking yourself into exercise by playing a game. Oh, also teamwork and resilience and encouragement and stuff. 

But I still don't play sports, so I trick myself in other ways.

If I'm going on the elliptical or the bike, I have to watch a good tv show or listen to an audiobook that I'm into, so I don't think about how I am kind of tired and winded and would like to quit now that I've been doing this for 4 minutes. It has to be a good enough book or show though, otherwise I'll gloss over and think about how I'm kind of tired and winded and would like to quit now again. 

My new favorite thing though are classes where we mostly dance the whole time. I have been doing zumba which is a delight and a class called "dance jam" which is kind of dancy aerobics to loud music. I also have been taking a class called pound, which was super fun- you drum to music for an hour and trick yourself into doing a lot of squats. 

In conclusion, exercise can be boring, but trick yourself into liking it because it's good for you.