I’ve discovered that the key to my happiness project is my determination to make and keep my innumerable resolutions. I follow — or try to follow — dozens of resolutions, and they’ve made a real difference in the happiness of my everyday life.
One resolution that many people make and break is the resolution to exercise. Exercise is a key to good health, and for me, has always been essential to feeling cheerful. In fact, when I’m feeling blue, one of the best ways to shake the mood is to exercise. Also, exercising has a strange double effect: it makes me feel both calmer and more energetic.
My husband is the same way. On Sunday, he was feeling low, and a trip to the gym chirked him up considerably.
And even if I don’t feel better, at least I have the satisfaction of knowing that I exercised.
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“a happy life for me, and yet I’ve been very bad”
I’m troubled by this line from the article. It sounds to me like exercise is no longer just a healthy activity, it’s morphed into a kind of moral issue.
I hear a lot of words that are associated with morality, guilt and shame any time the subject of diet and exercise come up. I think it’s a mistake to frame exercise in that way. For me that mindset very demotivating, because exercise is just one more thing to feel guilty about. Thus, faced with the choice to get involved in exercise, guess what I’m not going to do? I can avoid a lot of guilt and shame by avoiding exercise altogether.
On the other hand if I take the distorted morality out of it and just look at exercise as a kind of therapy or medicine, it’s much easier to stay motivated. If I get distracted and forget to take my ‘medicine’ I’ll feel bad, but that will serve as a reminder to keep on schedule and take it next time. That’s a very different process than the endless cycle of guilt and self-abuse that makes me want to give up entirely.
Exercise is not a moral issue.
I think it’s very interesting how we set up a double bind about exercise. People are told they have to exercise, whether they like it or not. But then, they’re told that the MUST enjoy what they’re doing, it must make them feel good. I think I can testify, on behalf of myself and the vast majority of Americans who don’t excercise: IT DOES NOT FEEL GOOD. WE DON’T ENJOY IT. WE DO NOT FIND PHYSICAL MOVEMENT WORTHWHILE. No matter how much you might like it, most people hate it. Exercise has always made me feel depressed and depleted. I have always hated it.
Once you start with the inner critic making this a moral issue or some measure of your worth,[I think you]take any enjoyment out of exercise [or anything].I do agree with setting mini-goals – get out and walk 10 or 15 minutes and usually – if you have the time – once you’re moving, you will most likely do a bit more. For me, getting outside is good for my head. Some forms of exercise are pretty tedious – like arm exercises or floor exercises – I kind of think those are better in a group setting where I feel the need to keep on ( with a good leader).
I am in the process of trying to set up more consistent habits – making the process more automatic – but find this is a challenge for my head. Having a dog helps!