Being active without being obsessed
For some, exercise conjures up the feeling of dread at having to get up and expend energy because we should. For others, it is a daily habit that must be accomplished for us to feel successful.
And then, of course, there’s everyone in between. Whichever end of the spectrum you reside, there's probably a lot of shoulds that accompany your beliefs about exercise.
Millions of North Americans have gym memberships and workout religiously 4 times a week, zoning out on the treadmill for 30 minutes each time. If this style of workout suits you, by all means, go nuts, but I got bored of the gym many years ago.
The trick is to find a way to be active without feeling like you have to schedule a time for it and stick to a routine. But then, you cry, how will you know if you have burned enough calories or if your heart rate was elevated enough?
Because your body knows what it needs without a machine or calorie counter. Bodies have been around longer than diet books and exercise equipment. Trust them.
As our culture becomes more sedentary, our solution is to keep it that way but also set aside certain times of the week to “workout.” That certainly fills the quota set by the medical authorities, but is it all that fun?
Let me pose an alternative solution: think of ways to be more active without trying. Our bodies demand that we move them, but we have the choice to do that in any way we wish. Keeping things varied and in moderation helps us to keep active without being obsessive.
Imagine keeping fit without really thinking about it? That’s the goal. Exercise should never be a chore but more of an exciting way to keep out cheeks naturally blushed and our heartbeats a little quicker than normal.
Sounds a bit like being in love, doesn’t it? That seems much more fun to me.
When we start becoming more aware of ourselves during activity, we begin a new relationship with our bodies. If you were just working out before, you probably had music playing in your ears and used the time to zone out.
But it’s more beneficial to zone in; being conscious of how our bodies move is actually very rewarding. It’s like getting to know yourself all over again (or maybe for the first time).
We can become so detached from ourselves that it feels like we are living outside of our bodies. What a shame! No wonder so many people are not satisfied with their shape or weight- they’ve no idea how extraordinary their bodies really are.
