Finding Passion In An Exercise Regimen
I've tried almost every sport imaginable
I've tried almost every sport imaginable. I was in both softball and soccer leagues up until the beginning of high school. I played in a town recreational basketball league for four summers.
My uncle played in the PGA and has sent me golf paraphernalia since birth to motivate me to take up golfing (which I have done with him almost annually). My parents sent me to Harvard's tennis camp during my summers so I could be a sophisticated tennis player when older.
I was a proud member of the swim team, the cross country team, and the track team while in high school. I've owned a kayak, a treadmill, exercise videos, exercise balls, and ankle weights. But let me tell you this. None of them stuck.
That is until I found biking. I know I was introduced to biking at a young age. It started with a a tricycle, then training wheels, then occasional short rides with my family.
But I never considered biking as anything more than another form of transportation, a mode to get from Point A to Point B and then back to Point A again.
I lost biking all through middle school and high school. We moved a lot and bikes were one thing that never seemed to make in on the moving van.
But half way through college, I was finally reintroduced.
It started as a simple date on a girls Schwinn. She wasn't planning on anything more than just a leisurely tour of Provo, but I fell in love. But not with her.
From there it became a weekly thing on my brother's "too small for him" Trek bike. Soon weekly traditions led to a few times a week, and now I feel uneasy when I don't spend at least thirty minutes on those two wheels.
But it took me 15 years, a few broken bones, and way to much cash to find my thing.
There are three important steps in finding an exercise regiment you are passionate about. It fills your needs, you feel good doing it, and you just stick with it.
The first crucial step is figuring out what your needs are. There is a big difference between what a stay at home mom needs in an exercise regimen and what a unpredictable care-free college student needs.
Maybe your fitness plan needs to be about "me time", in which you can break away from the phone, your kids, whatever it may be and focus on yourself. Yoga, running, cycling, or private gym workouts may be your thing.
On the other hand, if you want your working out time to be spent talking to others maybe dance classes, a softball league, ultimate Frisbee games, or tennis could be the right answer. It's all about determining what you need out of your program.
The next step is to figure out what you feel good doing. I need to be outdoors, indoor workouts are a pain for me. But outdoors I feel entirely different, motivated, energized, and excited.
You have to experiment. Try remembering some of your favorite active experiences. When did you feel best about yourself and how were exercising?
This experimentation may seem daunting but take it step by step. You can find countless free videos for workout plans online and on podcasts on iTunes.
Try borrowing a friends equipment or tagging along to a class for a day. Many gyms allow you to attend a first class for low charge or no charge. This means you can try out different activities and figure out what makes you feel the best.
The last step may be the hardest. Stick it out. When you finally find the activity that makes you the happiest, don't make excuses to avoid it, don't overbook yourself, just do it.
When the weather is bad, don't take no for answer. If you had a bad day at work, don't justify sitting in front of the TV to make yourself feel better. Keep going.
Soon, you will recognize how good you feel during and after your exercise time and that can help keep you going. But until then, just keep up the energy.
I never thought I would be the type of man that would crave exercise this much. Saturday's come and all I can think of is where my long ride will be to. But I finally found my exercise soul mate. And I am not giving up on this relationship.
by: Ignacio Lopez
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