I have officially determined that there is absolutely no way I will ever exercise if it is not fun. I have, of course, made this determination through strict usage of the scientific method – namely, by observing years of failed New Year’s resolutions.
…Okay, I’m an engineer. It was a bit more scientific than that.
I would love to believe that I can just muster up the self-discipline to get myself to the gym or a running trail, but in the past six months, using that white-knuckling approach to force myself to be disciplined has only resulted in an average of 1.8 workouts per week.
I know, because I did the math.
In July, I worked out an average of 2 times per week. In both August and September, my performance went down to 1.5x/wk. October – 3.5x/wk (whoop!); November – 1.25x/wk; December – 1.5x/wk. Interestingly, October was also the month I felt the happiest this year. So if I’m going to make 2016 great, I need to get a handle on this exercise thing. Which means I need to stop thinking of exercise as exercise and more as a fun activity I have the pleasure of doing.
Being an analytics freak, I of course made a spreadsheet with some of my options, their associated costs, plus the travel times and distances to various gyms, parks, dance studios, etc. Only after doing all of this work did I have the epiphany that, really, the best form of exercise for me would be one where I frequently get to punch people in the face. Because that’s what I want to do all day anyway. If I could burn calories while punching people in the face, that would really be ideal.
Time to research nearby boxing gyms… Fit Aurora, here I come!
Authentically Aurora
P.S. You think I’m joking. But I’m not. Bye, 2015! Thanks for the motivation!
Authentically Aurora 
Spot on and I totally agree. 2015 was a year of firsts for me, with me getting a grasp on all things health and fitness, and a gym regime was one of them. When I first started out I was running 4 days a week, then it went down to 3 then 2 then none.
Had to sit myself down and figure out why, and it turns out….I hate running lol. I’ve moved onto something I REALLY enjoy (lifting weights) and haven’t looked back since.
Enjoyment is a key driving force in most things in life!
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Hi Ryan! Welcome and thanks for reading (and commenting)! I’m glad you were able to find a fitness regimen you enjoy. So you’re saying there’s hope for the rest of us? 😉
I actually did CrossFit for a while and really liked weight lifting using barbells, but most gyms don’t have them available for liability purposes. I’m not as much a fan of dumbbells because explosive exercises like power cleans are my favorite. So I’ve been half-heartedly using the weight machines at my apartment gym, but I know I’m not doing as fast or high intensity workouts as I could be.
I LOVE dancing and so have used that for exercise for many years, but it’s a lot more fun with a partner (swing, salsa, ballroom), and alas! I am doomed to singleness, I’m afraid. So boxing it is. Or maybe jujutsu. 😀
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Hope you can find a great outlet for both your fitness and frustrations 🙂 When I first started working out, I had to force myself to go to the gym (this lasted for six months haha). It wasn’t until I switched up my routine and started noticing changes in my body, that it became addicting. The endorphins are a plus too!
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Yep. I think I want to work out for the mental/emotional benefits possibly even more than the physical! Definitely ready to notice some changes in my body and get addicted. Glad to know you did!
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There’s nothing like exercise to make you feel better mentally and emotionally. My personal favourites are weightlifting and cardio, but mostly just lifting 🙂 Have fun!
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I’m glad you do not know what my face looks like!! Blessings to you in 2016. J.
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Because your face is so filled with awe and wonder? 😉
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Ha-ha! No, I just figured I’d be one of your exercise motivations. J.
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Bahahaha! No. You’re generally nice to me. I only punch mean people in the face.
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I think I would do that just for the fun of punching people in the face. But I choose to play video games instead to get my frustrations out.
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Yeah, if you play video games, you get the satisfaction of punching people in the face without the risk of bloodying up your own nose. Smart call, Bitter Ben.
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And boy did I need that last night.
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Were people being people again (i.e. frustrating and disappointing, as is their natural state)?
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Yeah, as if I wasn’t have a bitter enough day, I got a facebook message from my wife’s cousin, who I barely ever talk to, who heard some third hand info from someone and railed into me for something she knew nothing about. It was great.
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I think they got the quote wrong. Instead of “ignorance is bliss”, it should be “ignorance is bitterness-inducing”.
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