When I was young, being fit was easy. We went outside, ran until the sun was out, and we kicked a ball. It felt easy to stick to this routine because all our friends were doing it. We were always expected to do these things, by parents, by teachers, by other adults. No matter how hectic school became, we were told to spend time outside for at least a few hours a day. It’s one of the reasons I think days seemed longer to us; we seemed to perceive the passing of time differently because we spent more time outside.
But as we started to grow older, we got new responsibilities, and it seemed like the days became shorter. We never had time to do much apart from schoolwork, and we were exhausted when we came home. In the middle of this, I think we experienced a shift in the way we thought about spending time outside. When we approach adulthood, some of us begin to think about physical activity as a chore, as a hobby, or a social trend; we read about studies that show the benefits of exercise and we fear that we may not get to reap those benefits. For some of us, this fear is enough to motivate us to work out. Many of us may even be motivated by Casey Neistat’s videos; he seems to have convinced an entire generation that running was cool. The point is, we all grow up with one basic idea: exercise is healthy for you.
Over the years, though, I have realized that maintaining an active lifestyle does so much more than solely keeping us fit or helping us losing weight. There was so much more that drew me to working out; it calmed me down, while at the same time, gave me so much more mental and physical energy. I slowly began to realize that my perception of the world around me changed with how I moved. I didn’t need to go to the gym to work out; a simple run, a simple walk could have the same effects on me. My mind felt clearer, more open, and I felt like I could be more creative in whatever I did. I was less scattered, more relaxed, and my memory seemed to improve. I was starting to see more cognitive effects of this in high school, and I still see them now.
I’m definitely not as fit as so many other people I know, but I slowly began to see that I could do more. The realm of what I thought was not possible started to become a little easier, day by day; and this leads me to the point I’m trying to make.
Exercise helped me push myself, push past the boundaries I set for myself. I started to see that so much of our strength is in our mind, and I could direct this strength and energy to other aspects in my life at will. This, in my opinion, is the thing that keeps me coming back. Many of us are used to keeping different aspects of our lives in separate boxes; and it is the reason we associate exercise with solely physical benefits. But the fact remains: whatever form of physical exercise we choose to do would have a significant impact on so many different areas of our lives. To put it simply, I began to see so many other areas of my life being shaped by the way I moved my body.
I think the reason we have a problem sticking to our routines is because we try to adjust to other people’s idea of exercise. In order to truly benefit from this, we need to find a workout routine that makes it fulfilling, or even fun, for us. The key is consistency; once we find out what works for us, we would find it easier to stick to it.
The important thing to remember, in my opinion, is to find a routine that keeps you engaged and motivated to continue it.