Loving and Hating the gym.

A true account of the average love and hate relationship with the gym.

Working out is great. It makes you flexible.
It helps you lose the flab. It makes you look and feel awesome.
Exercising is scientifically proven to improve brain and muscle function.
Plus points for feeling light and agile.

Working out sucks. It makes you sweat like a pig.
It takes so much time for a full fledged workout.
It makes you so tired and drained. And it causes body pains and aches.
Plus points for feeling an insecure nut job among the many healthy gym buffs.

Most of us have this love and hate relationship with the gym. We love working out. But we also hate working out. It feels good after a day. But taking the effort to stick to an exercise schedule in our sedentary, busy and distracted lifestyle is the biggest challenge. Consistency is key. We hate to hear this, but its true.

Whether it is a goal for losing weight, or a goal to lead a healthier lifestyle, sticking to a planned regimen is essential. Finding the motivation to even move from bed and wake up in the morning to exercise is essential. Lately, I have realized that

Fitness is a lonely journey.
Why? Let’s find out.

Your mind constantly buzzes with alarm at your weight. When you see pictures of myself a few years ago, at how slim you used to be. How you are helpless to follow a diet, for lack of motivation, or time or energy. You look back at how you used to like working out. You miss your college friend. (You guys used to gym together. After classes, with loud music). You miss the time you used to have; just for yourself. Time to exercise, guilt free. Without thinking of opportunity costs.

Life gets pretty complicated with time. There are new relationships. Old relationships. New responsibilities. New expectations. New schedules. Ever changing schedules. Transiency and dynamism become the foundation of life every passing day. Sometimes, you wonder if your past time was; in fact a past life.

You talk about your struggles with your loved ones. Everybody has advice. Work on a schedule. Be consistent. Try and avoid processed foods. Switch to healthy snacks. Everything seems great at first. But it is truly a daze to actually follow advice. It is even difficult to apply each advice in black and white. It is just not possible, circumstantially. You are you. You need to customize as per your capacity.

Fitness is a lonely journey. You alone are responsible for your health. No amount of external pressure, or advice can help achieve any goals. An inner voice is necessary, and listening and acting on this inner voice is even more necessary. Controlling yourself when a friend offers you french fries is lonely. Even when he nods his head and smiles, and says: ‘Nothing is gonna happen! Have some!’

You KNOW what is gonna happen. You just do. You KNOW you need to get up off your ass and take out an hour for yourself. If not an hour, half an hour. You NEED to give this to yourself. You NEED to get selfish. You KNOW what will happen if you don’t. You don’t need to listen to what everyone says. Fitness is a lonely journey. And you need to customize a path for yourself, and walk it alone. It is also lonely, if you are into fitness; but no one else is. And everyone seems to be dissuading you and dragging you away from exercising. Never mind them, just keep rocking the way you already do.

Let’s raise ourselves from sitting in front of the laptop, and get some air. Go stretch. You have spent enough time on the screen for today. :D