Why You Need To Work Out

It's the new year, so I know you're already overwhelmed by the endless gym, fitness equipment, and weight loss product commercials.

I have an on-again/off-again relationship with health and fitness. However, I can complete amazing feats at the top of my game - 7-mile runs and 2-hour workouts in the gym.

But, inevitably, a few missed days turn into weeks, and six months and many sweet treats later, I am back at 1 .

So, I write this from the perspective of someone who struggles to maintain a healthy life. My natural inclination isn't healthy choices.

If you're like "me too," then I'm writing to you.

The Usual Reasons

The reasons to work out are endless. Just this morning, a story from NBC News popped up on my feed, noting that "…exercise affects nearly every cell in the body."

From reduced risk of chronic illness to mental health management, the article lauded the benefits of an active lifestyle.

For me, regular exercise makes both my depression and anxiety more manageable.

And, these are all valid reasons to commit to exercise, but I want to suggest an alternative motivation.

A Different Perspective

"Okay, so why should I commit to working out in 2022?" you ask.

The reason you should commit to working out: you don't want to.

Yes, that's right - you should do it simply because it is something you do not want to do.

And, it's an intense level of not wanting to do something.

I mean, there are so many things we don't want to do: clean the house, grocery shop, work meetings, but we do them because we have to.

We don't have to exercise. Even if it benefits our lives, it is optional. But it is an option that requires a lot of effort.

If you're inactive, the idea of getting off the couch, changing into activewear, bundling up to face the cold, actually going outside, walking or running in freezing temps, only to return and have to shower - could feel absurd if not impossible.

Many of us still carry some version of our inner child that loves to sulk in the corner, refusing to do anything but what we want.

That part of me wants to sit on the couch and zone out as I binge-watch the Netflix flavor of the week while scarfing down a bag of Cheetos.

Sound familiar?

Embracing Effort and Risk

But that part of us can impact so much more than our choice to exercise or not. See, that aspect of who we are doesn't want to do anything that requires effort or risk.

So, it will look for ways to maximize comfort while still appearing productive.

When we allow the sulking toddler to drive our life we stay in roles that don't serve us because they are comfotable.

Or we'll avoid difficult conversations, squashing emotions.

For me, I remained in relationships that did not serve me for way too long because staying was the path of least resistance. To leave was a matter of effort and risk.

I'm not suggesting laziness as the root cause. Instead, I suspect many fear and limiting beliefs are to blame.

So, in this way, exercise (which you don't want to do) can be a great gateway to tackling your resistance to effort and risk in more complex areas of life.

A Low-Risk Gateway

Exercise is a low-risk way to work muscles (no pun intended) you don't want to work.

I say "low-risk" because you can work out in your basement - no one has to know.

In time, you start to feel the reward of breaking through resistance and committing to something you didn't want to do.

Plus, the growth you'll see teaches an important lesson. For example, maybe you start jogging, and a mile takes 20 minutes, but in four weeks, it may only take 16. In six months? Who knows.

Exercise provides a sense of accomplishment that is freeing. It shows us that we're stronger than our natural impulse and that the limits of what we can accomplish today are merely temporary matters. With time and training, barriers become milestones.

Ultimately, fitness shows us that with effort and risk, things can change: we grow stronger, healthier, and complete tasks that previously seemed impossible.

So it is in those more complex areas. Taking career and relationship risks - challenging ourselves to speak our truth and dare to have difficult conversations - requires us to push past resistance and discomfort.

Start with what you can manage - a daily walk that turns into a run, culminating in crossing the 10K finish line.

Start with what you can manage - a side hustle that turns part-time, resulting in a full-time career shift and increased earnings.

Or daily journal entries, expressing rather than pushing down those emotions, eventually expressed in a much-needed conversation.

You start with "I don't want to," and end up with "I did!"

Remember You Can

Maybe it isn't that people "don't want to" but rather that they're afraid "they can't."

The good news is this is they can - they just have to practice doing the thing they feel naturally inclined to avoid out of fear: career moves, dating again, published writings, and the like.

And exercise is an excellent roadmap for pushing past the natural impulse to "not try."

So, grab your 5 lb dumbbells (or soup cans), throw on your sneakers, and head to the basement. And even if you only make it 10 minutes - that's longer than you thought you could - and that's the point.

Thank you for reading. If you enjoyed this story, please hit "subscribe" or show a little extra love with a tip. I appreciate you in advance for any support. You can follow me on Twitter @cadenzacreates.

This is a revised version of this article. I repurposed the piece for Vocal Media. You can find the original version on Medium. Read it here.

©Heather Martin, 2022