(no subject)

[austin_tycho]

Someone posted a question about exercise, and how you feel during it and after it. I've never really enjoyed it; the only reason I do it at all is because I think I need to. But there's not much enjoyment to be had from the activity itself. When I go for a walk I enjoy talking with hub; when I go swimming at the lake I enjoy cooling off and being in nature. But I could be enjoying these things minus the exercise component. I hear about the runner's high and how great that is, but I haven't experienced that. Either I'm just not wired that way, or I'm doing it wrong. It's probably the latter; it's tough to get past the apparent counter-intuitive notion that if you do something you don't like more, it will feel better.

Anyway, here's one of the other responses to the question:

For me, there's nothing like the feeling of pushing yourself to your physical limit...and beyond. I love when that second adrenaline rush kicks in riiiight before you think you're going to collapse, and then suddenly whatever you're doing gets easy again. It's that "runner's high." I love it when I realize that I'm cruising through my workout today and need to kick it up another notch. I love it when I push through the pain and reach my goal. I love the energy and I *need* loud, aggressive music to get me through. (One reason I'm PISSED about the Bally's/Crunch situation.) I love "competing" with the person next to me. If they were on the treadmill before I was, I'm NOT getting off before they do. Even outdoors, I love standing at the bottom of a gorge looking at the top of a hill, then standing at the top looking down a couple of hours later and thinking "wow, that was a hell of a hike!"

And afterward? I have soooooo much more energy than I did before. I think the post-rush for me is more intense than what I feel during exercise. I feel good physically AND mentally. When I get in a funk, I can always look at how much I've been working out (or not) and there's definitely a correlation. When I don't work out, I'm less productive, more depressed, and less energetic and creative. It's KEY to a good life for me.

But my *problem* is that I enjoy it too much. It feels like a luxury and I feel guilty spending the time on it that I do. I can't just go to the gym for half an hour and be happy, and finding 2-3 hours a day is impossible. I find myself only allowing myself to go when everything else is finished for the day, which is rare. So I don't go as often as I should, then I get in a funk, get less productive, feel guilty because I'm NOT going...you get the idea.

I guess in some ways, I'd be a great trophy wife. All day at the gym with nothing better to do?? HEAVEN!!!!!!!!!!!!

This is so foreign to me, I'd say she has to be lying but I am trying to wrap my head around this and accept it as an actual possible variation that works for her. It sure seems weird though.

Comments

[contentlove.livejournal.com]

She ain't lying. I could have written that. Whereas my sister Meg could have written your post. Something to do with the metabolism, I guess.

[austingoddess.livejournal.com]

Same here - if it didn't involve an insaneamount of sweating while doing something inherently boring, I'd be more into it. Building a house? No problem - I can do a lot of that. Walking to somewhere? Swimming to go see stuff? That's exercising as a means of accomplishing something else. Completely different from doing something repetitive with a machine that doesn't interact with you.