“Is this all there is to it?” I ask myself.
I feel like an ailing child forced to take my medicine. I’m aware that it’s healthy but I absolutely hate it.
I used to lift weights for bodybuilding. It is 2005. I am 21 years old.
Not that I have anything against bodybuilding. Many people enjoy lifting weights. In fact, I am one of those people now. It’s just that I first had to find another type of exercise that I truly enjoy before liking pumping iron again. This blog entry is about that: enjoying your workout.
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| Spending Time with the FMA Group |
I’d like to build on Lou Schuler’s and Alwyn Cosgrove’s 2nd Rule of Lifting: “Do something you like.” Schuler and Cosgrove are the authors of the book, “The New Rules of Lifting: Six Basic Moves for Maximum Muscle.” The said writers also say that a bad exercise program is better than no action at all. Though your workout is not as good as others, the fact that you enjoy it gets you healthier already. Why?
To ask why the need to enjoy exercise is the wrong question. The better query is, “why not be fond of your training"? Doesn’t everybody want more fun in their lives? The child doesn’t want to take his medicine because it is awful. It’s not fun.
Positive psychology and the Appreciative Inquiry (AI) Approach may give a sufficient explanation. Essentially, they say that people do more of the things that make them feel more alive. If you enjoy it, you do more of it. AI applies to one's studies, work, group or organization, volunteer work, etc. This piece urges to employ it to workouts too. “Just a spoonful of sugar makes the medicine go down in the most delightful way,” sings Mary Poppins.
Find something you take pleasure from and just do it! Some people like to workout in groups like basketball and badminton; some enjoy solo exercises like bodybuilding; some want to get their heart rate up like running and swimming; and some prefer learning new skills like martial arts. There are a lot more choices to pick from: dancing, frisbee, biking, yoga, hiking, pole dancing, boxing, pilates, zumba, gymnastics, kettlebell, etc.
The bottom line is, “have fun and get your body moving.” ***
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| Just Goofing off in FMA Classes |
- Click here to read more about "The New Rules of Lifting" by Schuler and Cosgrove (2005)
- Click here to read more about the Appreciative Inquiry Approach
