Getting Used to It

As I often do, I have two opposing thoughts in my mind at once.  And, as usual, I like them both.  We live in a nuanced, paradoxical world, so maybe we should get used to it?

 

Thought one:  it doesn’t matter how we’re feeling; we need to do the work.  This is the being a grownup part, where maybe we would rather lie in bed all day and figure out what that shape in the plaster really reminds us of, but instead we get up and work out because it is the right thing to do, it’s in line with our goals, and it will actually make us feel better.  The spin bike does not care if we are grumpy.  The weights do not get offended if we snarl at them.  When we work out in spite of our own resistance, we build grit and character as well as muscle.

 

Thought two:  it matters a lot how we approach what we do and how we feel about it.  I know and love a lot of folks who are in a bit of a freak-out about their pandemic bodies.  Freaking out does not burn calories.  It doesn’t help.  It leads us into a shame and self-hatred cycle.  If that kind of negativity worked, we would all be extra double thin.  We need to treat ourselves with love, approach our workouts in a spirit of calm, and allow ourselves to grow patiently, as if we were our own beloved child.

 

How do I resolve this?  I don’t.  I do both.  There are plenty of days when I do let the weights or the spin bike absorb my anger and bad moods.  I do, however, even in my worst moods, remember that I’m working out because it is good for me, because I will feel happier and be stronger for it, because I would encourage my bestie to do the same.

 

We don’t work out just to work out; we do it to feel good in the largest possible sense.  So take a deep breath and go play.