Do you ever feel like exercise just isn’t for you? You might be thinking you’re not sporty enough, not fit enough or don’t look the part. Or you might simply be thinking that you’re just not that interested!
But maybe you haven’t found the right type of exercise yet…
Forget P.E
Have you ever considered that memories of school PE may still be haunting you and putting you off trying exercise? If you’ve never had a very active hobby then P.E may be your only experience of exercising. Remember being made to do things you didn’t enjoy (for me this was rounders) or being forced to wear those awful school uniform shorts? Remember not being on a team or being picked last in class?
I often hear people longing for their school days. They were simpler times without so many stressful responsibilities. But when it comes to exercise, being an adult is the best! There are no PE teachers making you climb a rope or do the bleep test. Part of ‘adulting’ is taking charge of your own health and fitness. It’s making decisions about your diet and what exercise you want to do and when.
Finding something you enjoy is ESSENTIAL
Finding exercise you actually like changes your whole mindset. This necessary evil you used to find a chore suddenly becomes something you will willingly sacrifice an evening in front of the TV for. But like I said you may very well be thinking, “but there isn’t anything I enjoy.” If you are, I ask you, have you tried everything? If not, why not?
Exercise is a bit like trying new food – you don’t know what you’re missing until you’ve tried it. Usually we tend to enjoy things we are good at and give a wide berth to things we find hard. The problem with exercise is we decide we won’t be able to do it before we even try it! But…you cannot be bad at exercise. You might not feel very fit but exercise is not an exclusive club that only the super fit can join. It’s for everyone. Sport is a competitive field but exercise is not.
But what if I’m not very good?
If you know you should be doing more exercise but haven’t decided what to do about it yet, take the focus away from, ‘will I be good at it?’ and instead ask, ‘will I enjoy it?’ I’m not very good at singing but I love to sing! Remember, starting any form of exercise is a fitness journey. What you find hard at first will become easier over time. The first workout won’t be a breeze. I don’t expect anyone to have mastered all my Dance Fit routines after one class!
Fitness classes and gyms may seem daunting places if you haven’t set foot in them before but I can assure you they are not school playgrounds. Everyone is there to do their own thing. You will find camaraderie among your fellow class/gym members not judgement. There is no teacher’s report at the end and you are not competing against anyone but yourself!
I firmly believe that there is a type of exercise out there for everyone. There is always a new fitness trend or a new class to try. Exercise is so important and the benefits are so huge that I urge you to keep trying until you find the thing for you!
