If I’m not aiming for weight loss - then why bother with exercise?
The idea that exercise should be punishing and leave you covered in sweat, barely able to breathe is fundamentally incorrect. It leaves most people completely intimidated by exercise, scared to step into the gym for fear of being judged or looking silly for doing the wrong thing.
When I first started at the gym, I would bounce between the cardio equipment doing 10 minutes on the treadmill, cross trainer and stepper. I’d get bored then leave. I was intimidated by the weights section, filled with buff blokes - I didn’t understand what they were doing at all.
I stuck to doing cardio because I thought that was the best way to achieve weight loss - this was my sole driver for going to the gym. When my weight loss goals failed again, my desire to go the gym declined drastically, until I was left paying for a membership I never used.
I know there are many people stuck in this cycle - but what this pattern fails to acknowledge are the many wonderful benefits of exercise aside from weight loss.
From a physical perspective, we can;
improve our posture through mobility and stability exercises
build our strength with resistance training
improve our cardiovascular health
build our bone density with weight bearing movement
improve our flexibility through stretching
work on our endurance and stamina
Not a bad list, eh?!
This fails to mention all the mental health benefits that can reap;
improve our sleep patterns
boost our self-esteem
a huge sense of accomplishment and achievement
build our body image
a sense of body appreciation for what you can achieve
improve our mood
help to manage our anxiety
help to relieve stress
So next time you feel like giving up with exercise, remind yourself of all these other benefits. Maybe throw away the scales and focus instead on some performance goals such as lifting heavier weights or setting a new PB on a walk.
Joyful movement encourages you to really listen to your body - take into account all these wonderful benefits and choose a form of exercise that you really enjoy.
If (like me) you don’t enjoy pounding the treadmill then maybe try some of these ideas;
weight training
outdoor cycling
swimming
gardening
dance class
hiking with a local walking group
Crossfit class