Moving when you don’t want to
Following yesterday’s post about my friend Bess winning a bag, Bess commented to tell me that she had simply written about winning a bag. I didn't write about how some days she “wanted to barf at the idea of the gym.” And how happy she was today, that she “didn’t have to go the damn gym.”
I get that. I refuse to do most of the fitness things that are “good for me” and stick with things that I love, in chunks that are manageable for my time/fitness level/attention span. I’m a bit surprised that Bess sometimes struggles, because she is the fittest, most enthusiastic gym rat I know.
Sometimes you do have to hard things or things you don’t enjoy: physiotherapy, that really boring training that is essential to some specific goal (distance work or technical drills or whatever that is crucial to success in your sport of choice). Fit Is a Feminist Issue talks about this from time to time. Here is one post I particularly liked about just doing things even if you aren’t very good at them: https://fitisafeministissue.com/2020/02/03/i-just-keep-showing-up-myfitnesslevellnfivewords-guest-post/
Here’s another, on exercising even when you hate it: https://fitisafeministissue.com/2020/01/07/you-ask-fit-feminists-answer-i-hate-exercise-but-its-good-for-me-what-should-i-do/
For me, the hardest thing is convincing myself to walk the whole way to work instead of hopping on a bus for part of the way. My work is not far away - just under 3 km, so a brisk 30 minute walk. I have no issues with walking half the way to work and half the way home (or even running a good chunk of the way to make sure I catch the bus). But walking the whole way? Ugh! Today I walked the whole way. I felt better when I spotted these folks out getting the ice ready for break-up. It’s an annual ritual to prevent flooding, and a sure sign of spring.
I get that. I refuse to do most of the fitness things that are “good for me” and stick with things that I love, in chunks that are manageable for my time/fitness level/attention span. I’m a bit surprised that Bess sometimes struggles, because she is the fittest, most enthusiastic gym rat I know.
Sometimes you do have to hard things or things you don’t enjoy: physiotherapy, that really boring training that is essential to some specific goal (distance work or technical drills or whatever that is crucial to success in your sport of choice). Fit Is a Feminist Issue talks about this from time to time. Here is one post I particularly liked about just doing things even if you aren’t very good at them: https://fitisafeministissue.com/2020/02/03/i-just-keep-showing-up-myfitnesslevellnfivewords-guest-post/
Here’s another, on exercising even when you hate it: https://fitisafeministissue.com/2020/01/07/you-ask-fit-feminists-answer-i-hate-exercise-but-its-good-for-me-what-should-i-do/
For me, the hardest thing is convincing myself to walk the whole way to work instead of hopping on a bus for part of the way. My work is not far away - just under 3 km, so a brisk 30 minute walk. I have no issues with walking half the way to work and half the way home (or even running a good chunk of the way to make sure I catch the bus). But walking the whole way? Ugh! Today I walked the whole way. I felt better when I spotted these folks out getting the ice ready for break-up. It’s an annual ritual to prevent flooding, and a sure sign of spring.
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