March 5: Admission -- I hate working out

ARGH! I hate working out. I need to do it, that's for sure: I'm carrying at least 30 pounds (ok, more like 40) that don't belong in my belly and thighs. I want to have a stronger heart (I have athletic teenagers I need to chase around!). And I want to survive a bike ride we've put on our summer calendar -- going from Prague to Vienna (#spoiled). So my motivation is STRONG. I've resorted to tricking myself to get to the gym.

Last week I bought an awesome workout T shirt, because a pleasing workout outfit helps me motivate. It's a great gray/black color and just enough stretchiness (NO tight shirts for me!), but best of all, it has those slots to slide your thumb into. Because, you know, I'm taking a lot of outdoor runs and need to stay warm (ha-ha-ha -- no I'm not!). I just like how cool it make me feel.

I'm also highly motivated by... watching TV. We don't have a TV at home, haven't for 20+ years. (Yes, my kids have grown-up this way.) But there are TVs on all the bikes and treadmills, and yes, I know which station is the Food Network and which is E, and during the holidays, which is the Hallmark station (I didn't even realize they HAD a station -- I thought they made cards! Little did I know that I could watch a sappy movie every minute of every day in December!). I do not watch the news, I watch Friends reruns. Or cooking shows. And when I think no one is watching, I watch the Kardashian family, too (but after six or seven minutes, I get such an awkward feeling watching their bizarre lives, I have to click past and find a Hallmark movie to cheer me up).

I've recently come to realize that the opportunity to be alone and be offline is also a bonus of working out. No email for that hour; no Facebook, either. As my work gets busier (a blessing, for sure), I realize that time without tech is a gift I truly need to give myself. I embarrassed to say I find I have my phone in my hand, scrolling mindlessly, at least once a day. Gym time means phone in the locker (hey, I gotta concentrate on that Hallmark love story!), and even though I'm often still in front of TV tech, it's great to put the phone to the side.

So... it's 4:45 pm on a Sunday. Should I catch-up on email? Get a jump on my slice for tomorrow? Plan the three PDs I'm leading this week. Nah... I'm heading to the gym! (for REAL!)


Comments

  1. I love your honesty about the shows and networks you have discovered.
    I also admire you for not having a TV in your home, I wish me didn't!
    Enjoy your workout time!

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  2. Ok, first of all I am so jealous of your bike ride this summer! That will be so amazing! Second, good for you for going to the gym even when you don't feel like it. You are putting your health and your fitness first when you do that. I hope you are very proud of yourself. I know it is very hard.

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  3. It is hilarious what you wrote about Hallmark being a salve for your Kardashian indulgence! I loved reading about the little ways you motivate yourself to work out. I just bought a new pair of Reeboks that I really like. I only let myself wear them when I work out. That seems to work most days!

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  4. I love the ways you motivate yourself to get to the gym. It's inspiring, especially since you admit that you hate working out. I always like the feeling I have when I've finished a workout. And bravo for leaving your phone in the locker. And I love Hallmark movies too!

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  5. I need to get to the gym, too. I could do it with some shows to motivate me! :)

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  6. The summer bike ride will be worth the gym time now! Go hard!

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  7. I feel the same way about the Kardashians!! Your bike ride this summer sounds awesome. I appreciate your honesty about working out. I don't love running, but I do love how I feel afterwards. :-)

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