Running and I have a love hate relationship.
It's far from my favourite activity, but it's something I certainly feel the benefit from doing. Or, in other words, I love how it makes me feel but hate the process of actually doing it!
Sound familiar?
This is a phenomenon I have come across as a PT. Clients come to me because they want an end result, yet are reluctant to do the necessary work to get it. A factor for this is usually quite straight forward: they don't like exercise.
Exercise is a very broad term, and covers everything from walking, to team sports, to weight training, cycling, golf...the list is pretty long. And saying you don't like exercise is like saying you don't like food. Just because you tried one type of it, doesn't mean there isn't something out there you will enjoy.
Personally, I love weight training. I've done it four or five times per week for years, and I still look forward to (almost) every workout. I also play football on a Monday night, which I also enjoy, even if it is a lot harder than it was 20 years ago!
Running seemed like a good idea to me, purely to help with the stamina I was lacking for football. So, in January 2022 I started the Couch to 5K program. I completed the plan, and could run 5k. I felt 'fitter' too, which as I mentioned was the main idea behind doing it.
But I don't enjoy it. As much as I try, I am just not built for running longer distances! Sprinting was always my thing when I was younger - much more explosive and over a shorter distance suited me well. Even with the proper running shoes I bought after a gait analysis, my technique is still pretty average at best!
So, why do I continue to do it?
The answer to that is partly for the continued benefits of it. After a run, despite being out of breath and my legs hurting, I feel pretty damn good! The endorphin release you get after exercise is well documented, and even people who exercise regularly can still get this feeling. Plus, it is still serving the purpose of keeping my stamina up for running around a 5-a-side pitch for an hour once a week.
It is also partly due to the fact I feel like I should be good at running. I've always been pretty athletic and sporty, and running is a fairly basic, fundamental exercise which crosses over into multiple other disciplines. The fact that I'm not very good at it almost spurs me on to try and get better at it. Even though I know that I'll likely never be amazing, the stubbornness of wanting to improve at something I'm not good at is real!
Exercise, especially running, can be a love-hate relationship for many individuals. While it is an effective way to improve physical fitness, it is not always a favourite activity for everyone. However, it is important to remember that exercise is a broad term and there are many options to choose from. Whether it is weight training, cycling, or playing a team sport, finding something you enjoy is key to sticking to an exercise routine. The benefits of exercise, such as endorphin release, are well documented and can be a motivating factor to continue. It is also important to remember that everyone has different abilities and strengths, and that improvement may come over time with practice.
Find something you enjoy, and keep at it. And if there's something you don't enjoy as much, but it would help the thing you do enjoy, sometimes it's worth gritting your teeth for the benefits!
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