There a plenty of things that we could and should do on a regular basis that would drastically improve our overall quality of life.. it's just too bad that I can't seem to bring myself to do most of them.. I wish I could, but I can't seem to motivate myself to do something I don't enjoy..
Find out the latest bane to my life that I wish I could love in my newest segment of..
Why Can't I Love You..?!
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It's true.. I loathe the idea of going to the gym.. everything about it makes me cringe with disgust.. the musty sweaty smell, the creaky mats and convoluted assortment of benches and equipment arranged like some sort of rejected playground plan. There's no rhyme and reason to the place.. and I immediately regret it every time I wander into one expecting it to be different this time..
I feel like I stick out like a sore thumb.. most of the meatheads in the place come in well prepared and head directly from one corner to the next as they work through their pre-planned routine.. I have no idea what the hell im doing there.. The state of the art treadmill or elliptical are like optical confusions to me.. a myriad of settings is NOT what I need, so I just push 'start' and hope the DEFAULT is beneficial.. it doesn't matter though, because within a few minutes I'll become acutely self-aware that this isn't for me, jump off midstride, grab my towel, duck my head and make a beeline for the exit hoping no one notices my escape and subsequent failure.
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For me, exercise balls look too ridiculous to be taken seriously, a "stationary bike" is an oxymoron, and only dumbbells seemed to be named appropriately..
To be honest, it's just a mental image surrounding the establishments that I established in my brain waay back in high school.. At that time, I was young, lean and fit.. I could eat any junk that I pleased and never gain a pound. I was very active as is.. being a teenage boy. Participating in various sports, or just being destructive around the neighborhood (there were no smartphones, etc in those days, so we spent A LOT of time outside..)
Anyway, at that time, some of the guys I knew spent a lot of time in the gym, and I NEVER understood it.. I didn't want to look jacked like Schwarzenegger, I thought it ludicrous to have muscles so big you couldn't reach anything above your head, and had to walk through every entrance sideways.. As far as getting in shape was concerned, A gym seemed pointless.. I'd much rather get my exercise in with an activity that had a point.. like playing a game of soccer or even helping a friend rearrange the furniture in his house.. To me the very idea of going to the gym was excruciating.. I kept imagining a hamster running on a wheel.. running, running, running, but not going anywhere..
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Now that I'm older, my body can't keep up with my decadent lifestyle, and all logic tells me that exercise is the key to maintaining a least a shred of dignity.. but that mental block is deep-seeded and I can't seem to get past it. It even extends to all forms of exercise.. in a moment of inspiration I bought a weight set and yoga mat.. they remain, mostly unused, gathering dust in the corner..
Even exercise that I know I like, I find hard to push myself to do.. I know I enjoy running, but in a country that regularly reaches over 90 degrees Fahrenheit, all running must be done early morning or late at night.. I work at night.. and so a run requires waking up early.. sorry.. running, I like you, but I Love sleep more..
So, it would seem.. unless I can break my aversion to exercise.. I am Doomed (with a capital D) to a life of inert idleness.. Oh..