Exercise Habit

[rowyn]

I read an article whose author described exercise, like drug use, as an addiction: 'providing a stress-relieving high' or something on those lines.  And I thought "Really? An addiction?"

I've been getting regular exercise for over ten years now, pretty much continuously. I've skipped weeks now and then, and the amount varies: some times I might barely have jogged 30 miles over an entire month, others I might bicycle for over 300. But nonetheless. It is a habit. I exercise regularly. It has some tangible benefits: I do feel less stressed afterwards, particularly after biking outside.

But an addiction?

I am tellin' ya, if this is an addiction, it would be the easiest to break ever. Give me one reputable headline saying "exercise wears out your heart! Conserve heart action by sitting on the couch more" and I would be ALL OVER that couch. Yesssss. Come to me, sweet couch. Heck, I don't even need to learn that exercise is bad for me! Just demonstrate it's not good for me! I COULD QUIT ANY TIME.  LET ME QUIT RIGHT NOW. PLEASE.

It's a habit, yes. Like going to work five days a week. That doesn't mean I crave it or even want it. I have never found myself thinking, "Oh, I know I should stay home and eat ice cream, but I just can't resist the incredible lure of EXERCISE! I'm trying! I know it's a mistake but ... " *bikes for 10 miles, unable to control herself*

Yeaaaaaah no. Maybe there are people who're addicted to exercise, but I am so not one of them. -_-

Comments

[tagryn]

Jerry Seinfeld had a take on exercise (and career and life in general) that's stuck with me:
http://createsilence.com/Blog/the-torture-youre-comfortable-with/

Jerry: A lot of guys, Howard, they don’t want to lift those weights. It’s like going into the gym every day. You know how you walk in every day, and you go, “oh geez, I’ve gotta do this again.” A lot of guys don’t want to do it. It’s brutal.

Howard: It sounds like a tortured life, and you say it’s not, but…

Jerry: It is, it is, but you know what, your blessing in life is when you find the torture you’re comfortable with....Yes, and that’s marriage, it’s kids, it’s work, it’s exercise, it’s not eating the food you want to eat. Find the torture your comfortable with and you’ll do well.

Howard: I can’t argue with that because, even radio, it’s torture for me.

Jerry: Of course it is!

Howard: And yet I have to do it.

Jerry: It’s no different than when you’re 30 minutes into your workout, you’re ok; like, you’re ok now. You don’t want to get your ass out of bed, you don’t want to sit in that awful chair again, but once you get going… that’s life. You master that, you’ve mastered life.

[rowyn]

That is a depressing but apt way to look at it.