A Break-Up Letter to My Gym.

It’s official, here’s my gym break up letter. Here is my line in the sand. Starting today I am intentionally setting out to find exercise, movement, and activity that I enjoy whole-heartedly.

You’re probably the same as me. You think, “Man I’ve been sitting on this couch for three days straight, I should probably exercise.” And you’re first thought (and realistically only thought is) “I need to hit the gym.” Why?! Why is that our first thought?

What happened to play?

It seems like the only form of exercise we ever think of is the gym? If you walked up to your child who had been sitting on the couch for three days, would you tell them, “You need to go to the gym.” No!! You would hustle their butt out the front door and tell them to play.

You’ll play a game of fetch with your dog that needs to burn off some energy. Never would you think to tie their leash to a treadmill and make them walk for 45 minutes. So why are you subjecting yourself to that modern-day torture?

At what age did we decide that we aren’t allowed to use activities we enjoy, as exercise?

Last month I asked myself this question while counting down the seconds on the treadmill. I couldn’t come up with a reasonable answer to the question, and instead started thinking back to the activities I participated in as a child.

Dance was my physical activity of choice, and I was classes starting at the age of three. Although, I do remember playing every sport imaginable in our neighborhood cul-da-sac. Just running outside and play was so fun. Jumping, climbing, and chasing each other around just for the sheer enjoyment of it.

When we were children it was so easy to stay active without having to worry. You were just out there having fun! So I have decided to figure out how to have fun again while being active. There has to be something other than the forced-march of cardio and the boring monotony of weight lifting.

Exercise + Fun = Play

It doesn’t work the same way as it did when we were kids. I get it. As adults, we have schedules, responsibilities, an endless to do list, and others to care for. It’s not as simple as just running out the front door to chase your friend to the park.

But I still believe that there is a form of exercise out there that can be fun and enjoyable and I am determined to find it! I will be checking out local dance classes, parkour gyms, exercise classes, and local parks and preserves to find some places to have fun and play!

You can check back HERE weekly to see my newest way to play while burning calories. And maybe you’ll find a few ways to add my play into your exercise regimen!