In a Relationship with Exercise

What most fitnessholics probably know and understand better than anyone is how time-consuming, addicting, draining, exasperating, mind-numbing, and satisfying exercising can be.

Not only is it physically exhausting and fulfilling at the same time; it’s a lot of work. You have to be in it for the long run. You can’t just flirt with it and expect to see instant results; neither will you be happy with just a two- or three-month fling. Imagine a commitment with it long enough to celebrate your golden anniversary.

To some, exercising is the first thing they think of (and do) in the morning; to others, it’s the last thing they think of (and do) at night.

It comes to a point wherein you come to realize that the more you engage in it, the more you feel like you’re “in a relationship” with it.

How so?

  • Exercising is a commitment — a commitment to be disciplined and to do it regularly.
  • Exercising requires you to “spend time” with it, even if you don’t always want to.
  • Exercising is a two-way to street: the more you give (or invest in it), the more you get.
  • Exercising is a clingy beast — the more you try to stay away from it, the more it makes you miss it.
  • Exercising gives you a guilt trip — the more you try to stay away from it, the guiltier you feel.

There may be times, though, when all you want to do is take a break from it.

To give in to that bag of Doritos that’s been sitting in your pantry for months. To not wake up at the crack of dawn just to lace up and head out the door. To not give a hoot about the calorie count of a slice of pizza.

Then, a wave of nostalgia will hit you: that time you set a new 10K PR; your 31km/h cycling pace; your 135 thrusters; the 50 pull-ups you finally managed to do; the adrenaline and endorphin rush after each and every sweatfest.

And before you know it, as they say, absence makes the heart grow fonder. And you find yourself sucking up your pride (and, let’s face it, laziness) and crawling back to exercise; quads and hamstrings hurting like a mother as you do so.

Can’t live with it; can’t live without it.