One person's fitness heaven can be another's fitness hell.
If cycling down a lonely road was the only way to exercise, I wouldn’t do it, but my literary agent, Jeremy, thinks it’s absolute heaven. If playing defense on a basketball court were the only way to exercise, I wouldn’t do it, but my cousin Jenny, now in her 50’s, still plays hoops three times a week.
As with dating, you may have to kiss a lot of frogs before you find your workout bliss, but it’s crucial that you do not compromise your ideals or set standards you have no desire to reach! A strong fitness foundation is no different that a good relationship – it requires love and when you know, you know.
Many of my friends are still playing the field as far as fitness goes, trying to figure out what type of exercise suits them now (as opposed to ten years ago or ten years from now), so I consider myself lucky.
Ever since I jumped into my first aerobics class as a teenager, I’ve known that group exercise was the one for me.
Here’s what I liked about my early aerobics classes:
• They played great music
• They were non-competitive arenas
• They got my heart pumping without gasping for air
• I was inspired by the group energy
• The variety of movement felt great on my joints
• They gave me endorphin highs that invigorated my soul
If you are struggling to find your fitness match – and you know when you haven’t found your match when fitness feels like a chore -- do two things:
1. Go on “dates” to this yoga studio and that trapeze class. You don't have to go back.
2. Do a post-mortem. After every date, sit down and write two lists: what you liked and disliked about that date. You may have liked the time slot (9am on a Saturday) and disliked the outfit (mouth guard, no thank you!).
In no time, you’ll pinpoint your perfect fit, and the two of you will live happily ever after.
Ellen Barrett is a mind/body fitness expert and regular contributor to Whole Living. For information about her exercise DVDs, books, and classes, please visit EllenBarrett.com
From: Finding Your Exercise Match « Loud Fitness by Tanja Djelevic | 6/18/10 at 8:25 pm
[...] Living recently published a great post on How to Find the Kind of Exercise that Suits You Best. Author Ellen Barrett compares finding your ideal workout to dating. Here’s her advice for [...]