Saturday, 6 October 2012

Something is happening to my brain...

I had the strangest thing happen to me today - - I got up this morning and thought to myself: "Even though it's technically my day off, I feel like doing a short workout.  I'll just do 15 minutes on the elliptical before going shopping with my mom". 

What the hell...??

In my entire life I have NEVER thought to myself "I want to work out" when I did not absolutely have to do it.  Working out has always been a means to an end for me, rather than something I do for fun. 

Naps.  Those are fun things.  Snuggles.  Reading a good book.  Working out?  That's for suckers.  I work out in the morning to get it over with because it's not typically something that I enjoy.  Rather, it is a chore that must be endured.

In fact, my habit of working out for 40 minutes on the elliptical 6 days a week is so well known that many of my friends on MyFitnessPal asked if I was feeling OK, because a workout of only 15 minutes is out of character for me - - it was such a short workout that something must be wrong.  I was genuinely touched by my friends' concern, and surprised that they noticed. The thing was, this workout did not need to happen at all - - I had met my objective of 6 x 40 minute workouts this week, and today was my day off from exercising. 

And yet this morning I woke up and even though I did not need to, I decided to do an easy 15 minutes on the elliptical, "just for fun".  Wow.  Something is changing in my brain that affects the way I look at exercise.

Is it the endorphins?  Do I even get them?  I'm not sure.  This morning was a revelation to me.  This was the first time - - ever - - that I exercised for fun, and I enjoyed it.

Maybe I am actually experiencing a lifestyle change, where my habits and patterns of behaviour are starting to be positive things that reinforce other good behaviours.  If so, that's fantastic.  Even if it's not, I am going to see if this sudden urge to do incremental exercise ever repeats itself - perhaps there's a way to replicate this experience. 

Because you know what?  I actually *did* enjoy the workout.  Shhhhh - don't tell anyone!




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