This post is unlikely to be of any interest to fanatics who spend days and nights in the gym and on the treadmill. Professional athletes, for whom the exercise is the meaning and way of life, can skip it, too. However, all the ordinary people who experience normal human feelings – laziness, boredom, fatigue – can find the article extremely useful.
There has been a lot of excitement round physical culture and sports in recent years, so if you tell someone that you do not like to work out and run, you may incur sidelong glances and suspicions of inferiority.
What? Don’t you like to run? Are you sick? Or maybe you just do not understand?
No, I’m not sick. Though I fully understand the benefits of exercise, I just do not like it. I dislike sweating in a stuffy gym, I cannot understand how you can spend so many precious hours, running endless circles around the stadium, and I do not crave to stun people with a perfect body.
Nevertheless, I give exercise at least an hour a day. Every day. Both in winter and summer. For many years in a row. Why am I doing this?
Of course, in order to be healthy. Virtually all researches just scream about the beneficial effects of regular (I emphasize that word!) loads on the overall body condition. This implies the instant pronounced impact on the physical, psychological and emotional state, as well as long-term consequences.
In other words, sport for me is not a very tasty, but vital pill to be taken daily. Its undeniable and undisputed benefits help me overcome my laziness and boredom. In addition, there are a few simple secrets to help you sweeten this bitter pill, and eventually you may even start enjoying it.
1. Make workouts as short as possible
Three workouts a week for an hour and a half each is cool. However, it is very long and extremely tiring. Short daily 7-, 12- or 15-minute workouts look much more attractive and realistic. Besides, you may easily fit them into your work schedule. Fortunately, the Internet is full of videos with short but effective workouts.
2. Choose activities to your taste
Try to pick a task that will not seem repelling to you even with all of your dislike for sport. Do not believe the advertising that promises magical results from different trendy systems. It is better to be happy biking or swimming than to curse everything in the world lifting iron in the gym. Any physical activity benefits you, and what is done in a good mood benefits twice. Do not forget about the magical effect of music. For many people, favorite catchy music is a great incentive to get moving, even if minutes ago it was difficult for them to get up.
3. Take care of the brain
Many knowledge workers do not like sport only because they think it’s boring. Their brains are constantly used to receiving and processing new information, seeking solutions to problems and working. During physical activity, it is muscles that mostly work. The mind, which is not accustomed to this, gets bored and sends you a request to finish it all as soon as possible. Try to occupy your mind with pleasant music, podcasts, or even an interesting movie during the workout – for it not to interfere.
4. Do not set grandiose goals
Some might say that a poster with the image of Schwarzenegger motivates them to strive for the same achievements. However, more often, a complete mismatch between the poster and the picture in the mirror kills the last hope and the desire to do it. So set quite clear and reasonable goals that you really can achieve in the foreseeable future. This will give you confidence and may even wake sports passion. For those who choose sports games, to follow the score is a great incentive. You will not notice how much you’ve run while chasing the ball across the field, for instance.
5. Be more active in your daily life
Who said that for physical development you will certainly need to lock yourself in the gym? If you do not like it, try using all the surrounding space as a universal playground. Stop using elevators and escalators, start walking in the evenings and during the lunch break. Finally, change from car to bicycle, why not?
After completing all of these items, you will sooner or later be able to fit sports easily and seamlessly into your life. You will finally stop hating it.
Good luck!
