Full disclosure: I couldn't think of a better title, and it's hopefully a little bit of click-bait! LOL
This is something I've heard people say over my almost 22-years in the industry on a fairly regular basis. I'm sure our profession isn't the only one, but I still find it odd that people will pay you to "make them" do something they don't really enjoy doing. And we wonder why we're really not getting "healthier" as a species.
My point is, we're going about this in the wrong way!!
Imagine this...
-You have some practices in place that you implement each day that just make you feel better overall. It may be a good book while you have your morning coffee/tea, it may be a daily wander to the woods, or maybe doing a daily sudoku/crossword puzzle after work.
-On top of these daily small habits, you also enjoy a particular activity a few days per week. It may be hockey, it may be a photography group where you take nature pictures as you hike or maybe it's a 50km bike ride with a group of friends.
-You feel good most days, inside and out. You're happy with how things are and you know you're giving your body and mind the necessary attention to be healthy and happy.
-After a month or two, you feel like you need a bit more "umph" as my mom would say to allow you to keep up with your friends in your biking group, or to get up that darn hill in the woods with your photography group without sucking wind.
-So you decide to book an appointment with a fitness and health coach, to chat about some ideas of things you could do to improve these aspects so that the activities you truly love will be that much more enjoyable (and sustainable).
-From there, you decide to do just a few exercises 2-3 times per week at home to help strengthen and build some muscular endurance. OR you decide to visit your fitness and health coach 1-2 times per week to get that guidance and do your few exercises with him/her.
Now you do a select group of exercises for a deeper reason. And you know what? You don't dislike it as much as you thought!
*****
This is just an example, but it's 100% bang on what I see on a regular basis. I shoulder the blame since I feel I've "let this happen" over the years. But as a colleague of mine said recently, "we get older and WISER" as we move deeper in our career in health and fitness. She's right. The difference is NOW compared to the earlier years in my career is that I've lived it myself and I've seen it too often hold people back.
Think about how consistent, healthy and happy you will be if you're doing something because you WANT to, rather than because you feel you "have" to or "should"...
- Exercises and exercise programs should be a TOOL not your be-all-and-end-all. They should ENHANCE your daily life and your chosen activities.
- If you love doing something, you're much MORE likely to keep doing it
- When you do things that you enjoy, you carry that positive energy with you the rest of your day. When you do things you really don't care to do, you drag yourself down and add to the stress that has already piled up on you from "other" things.
MAN, OH MAN... if we can start seeing movement and activity, in ways we enjoy rather than "exercising" in ways we DON'T enjoy, there will be A MAJOR CHANGE IN HUMAN HEALTH AND HAPPINESS!!!! No doubt about it!
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