I'm going to come right out and say it. I don't like exercising, even back when I did it consistently, it never was fun for me. I'm skeptical that a "runner's high" is anything but a lack of oxygen to the brain and the phrase "a good sweat" is nothing but an oxymoron.
However, as a responsible (well, sort of responsible) adult, I do understand that sometimes I need to do things that are not fun. So, I'm working on adding regular exercise to my lifestyle.
But, how to convince myself to go to the gym? The long term health benefits? Not so much, it's hard to leave my couch, knitting needles, laptop, Kindle, and Sportscenter when the argument is someday I will be in better shape. The shirtless picture of Clay Matthews on the wall of the fitness center? Tempting, but I can probably find it on the Internet. The $100 I get from my insurance company if I log 75 workouts in 6 months? Maybe, but that only divides out to $1.33 per trip to the gym, and has the whole long term vs. short term problem. Because it is one of the few times that I get the chance to catch up on podcasts? Yup, that might just do it.
Finding time to listen to my podcasts can be tricky sometimes. When I try to listen at home, my mind fills with all the other things that I could/should be doing. Occasionally, I'll listen while I clean, but that doesn't always work out so well, and I find I get more done with music on instead. I've tried having them on in the background while I read, surf the Internet, or knit, but I tend to miss things. I can multitask with the best of them, but for some reason, not with podcasts.
When I was in school, the commute gave me ample time to listen (driving and listening works out just fine). However, I currently live about five blocks from my job, so commuting is a thing of the past. Enter the gym. A half hour of cardio on an elliptical jogger or treadmill creates the perfect opportunity to catch up on my listening. Once I get caught up, I'll have to come up with a new plan, but I currently have about 30 back episodes of The Bugle, 15 of Tuesdays with Aaron, and a bunch of various knitting podcasts, so I should be good for awhile.
But, let's hope the gym leaves Clay up on the wall, just to be on the safe side.
1 comment:
nicely done. I have agreed to spin for three hours at the end of the month. i don't know what i was thinking. but that has me thinking i too, should take advantage of one of the three free "gyms" available to me...and you did suggest podcasts for my commute. the relearning spanish didn't really take lol.
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