Move it till you feel better.
I'm in the "lose it" phase of "Use it or lose it."
I’m not the biggest fan of moving around for my health. I don’t mind walking. I love swimming. Sometimes I’m good for some basketball. But ever since the pandemic lockdown, I’ve been so lethargic that I found myself really starting to lose it.
I do things like groaning every time I get off a couch in the old man way, “Ahhhhwwww.” Also, I get OUT OF BREATH just by tying my shoes. I have lower back pain for no reason — not to mention being exhausted all the time and generally starting to have a very bleak outlook on life. I knew that if I exercised I’d feel better, but how do you exercise when you’re too tired?
In my case, I finally signed up for the YMCA where I used to work out and feel great before the lockdown. I went a couple of times to a class, but the instructor scolded me for being weak. He was trying to motivate me, but he pointed to these very strong women (good for them!) and said, “Those laaaydies are way stronger than you, do those pushups!”
I can’t imagine those women, who worked so hard to be fit, enjoyed being used as a way to ridicule me. Maybe they did? If I were them I’d want to be left out of any of it. So I bailed on that class.
Then I found another gym that specialized in intensive 45-minute classes where we run around changing stations. It’s perfect for me. It keeps me moving before I can get too sick of whatever we’re doing. I’m the oldest guy in the class, but nobody bothers me. It’s also closer to home which cuts down on another excuse not to go.
Now for the good part, I feel so much better! It’s only been two weeks and my mental outlook has improved. I’m sleeping better, and I just have an improved disposition overall. Apparently, my reaction is consistent with science that shows that, in some cases, exercise is as effective as anti-depressants.
Even a few minutes of a workout feels better afterward. Try jumping rope for a few. If you don’t have a rope, jump a pretend rope for two minutes. Or do a couple of pushups. Or go up and down the stairs a few times.
It’s amazing how little exercise still gives me a lift. Feeling like crap makes me tired and being tired makes me feel like crap. Just a jumping jack or two can help me start to break the cycle. Give it a go and lemme know if it helped in the comments! If you do feel better, tell a friend as well.
I went for the mental benefits and was surprised when I found myself getting physically stronger