Favorite Form of Torture

When I was an “in-denial fat guy” I use to look at exercise as torture. The image of a chubby Melissa chained to the treadmill forced to run for hours with a hostess cupcake dangling just out of reach would come to mind. Indeed that was the only way I was going to religiously hit the gym. I hate running. I hate jogging. I hate treadmills. Those forms of exercises are torture in my mind. Still are.




The idea of running equaling working out is common. When we think about working out we picture running. Images of the gym are rows of petite blondes with bouncy ponytails marathoning (I have officially invented this word) on the treadmill. Secretly I want to unplug the machines in my fantasy.



So, at nearly 300lbs and 27 the idea of hitting the torture house with these Barbie doll clones was not my idea of fun. Nobody is going to stick with something if it isn’t fun. Even the deep fried brain of a fat guy in denial understood this. If I wanted to embrace exercise and truly integrate it into my life I had to find one that worked for me.



That’s the secret to sticking with an exercise plan. We don’t have to make ourselves fit the exercise plan, but find one that works with us. Once we find the good fit, we’re unstoppable. I found my match in Yoga. That quiet Sunday I switched over to the Exercise on Demand feature and scrolled through the options. First, was some kick butt cardio blast with Jillian. I wanted to die or cry. How could I stick with this? It was not fun, at first. I needed something fun; something that didn’t feel like work. I clicked on Yoga with Tom Morley. Bam! I was hooked.



It was a cardio based Yoga that blended movement with the stretching of Yoga. I felt energized. I felt sore, but in a good way. The sweat that poured down felt more like tiny badges of honor. It was like playing kick ball with friends in Elementary School. I didn’t realize I was doing something good for me. I was having fun.



I incorporated this fun into my life. I started off with two days, then three, and finally five. I used this fun to propel me to other workouts. In a way Yoga was my gateway drug. It opened up my perception of exercise allowing me to embrace other practices that would benefit me. I still hate the treadmill and avoid it when I hit the gym. I realized that I didn’t have to conform to what those bouncy ponytails where doing.



The trick to exercise is not working out, it’s having fun. Find what fun is for you and incorporate into your life. You’ll be doing something fun and treating yourself at the same time.