Find a Workout to Satisfy You Now
Here are a few questions for you to ponder: Do you look forward to working out? Is staying fit exciting? Could you ever imagine exercise becoming your hobby?
Yeah, I know what you’re thinking. Am I out of my mind?
Sweaty clothes, endless repetition, aching lungs, crying muscles and boring surroundings are hardly inviting. For most of us, the best part of exercising is when we’re finished. If this sounds like you, it’s time to try a different approach.
Start focusing on the immediate satisfaction you can get from doing something physical.
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This made me think of one of my favorite students, the singer James Taylor. His life is hectic and demanding with rehearsals, performances and travel. Yet, for years, whenever he’s in town, he’s in my class, sometimes coming straight from the airport. You see, exercise is his hobby. For him the fun factor is his main motivation. Lean muscles and tight abs just come with the territory.
“You’re not likely to stick with exercise if you don’t enjoy it now,” says Richard Cotton, chief exercise physiologist for the American Council on Exercise. “In a month, if you don’t get the results you want and you’re not having fun, you’ll probably quit.”
A woman I know who juggles being a mom, school aide and church volunteer looks forward to her weight-training sessions because she finds her no-nonsense, drill-sergeant trainer a refreshing change after hours of polite diplomacy. A hard-driving Internet company manager likes to unwind after heavy deadlines by practicing yoga to the soothing sound of his instructor’s voice. And a lawyer I know can’t wait to ditch his expensive suit after work to swim the day’s tension away.
These people do regular physical activity because it feels good while they are doing it. The immediate satisfaction they get keeps them coming back, and this consistency is what whips them into shape over time, often without even realizing it.
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Sound promising? It should. If a favorite physical activity doesn’t leap immediately to mind, don’t despair. Here are a few ideas to help you figure it out.
1. Think in terms of what you like. If jogging hurts and yoga isn’t your cup of tea, don’t do it. There’s no need to discipline yourself that much. Maybe the camaraderie of a gym or one of the trendy, new dance classes, such as tap, belly dancing or salsa, inspires you and gets your juices going.
2. Don’t discount chemistry. The attitude of your workout buddy and style of your trainer can make all the difference. If they feed you energy, go with it.
3. Please your senses. What you see, hear, smell and feel during your activity will attract you or not. Do you like loud music or quiet sunsets? What don’t you like? Car exhaust or battling it out for a treadmill? Consider this: Good restaurants create a pleasant environment around the activity of dining to enhance your experience. That’s why that piece of poached fish served on a fancy plate in an elegant atmosphere looks and tastes better than if you ate it alone at your kitchen table.
4. Tune into your mood. If I power walk in the morning before work, I don’t really enjoy it and I end up cutting it short because my mind is cluttered with phone calls I should be making and work I should be starting. But when business hours are over, I’m more in the mood for a focused, concentrated workout.
The beauty of seeking instant pleasure from physical endeavors is that when you do something that makes you happy and you drop a pant size, you’ll feel like you got two for the price of one. Keep it up and your stressed-out, diet-hopping friends will want to know your little secret. Tell them, “Don’t ever underestimate the power of having a good time.”
* Joan Voight, a San Francisco-based magazine journalist, contributed to this story.
* Karen Voight is a Los Angeles-based fitness expert whose latest videos are “Ease Into Fitness” and “YogaSculpt.” You can contact her by e-mail at kvoightla@aol.com.