Why you should stick with some workouts you dislike – experts say your body and mind will thank you later
I hated every second of my run this morning. My legs felt like lead, I was acutely conscious of my knock knees (an ongoing problem I’m told is due to poor ankle mobility) and the seconds passed more slowly than they do in a budget meeting. I wasn’t having an off day; I feel the same way every week. If I’m ‘a runner’, I’m the most reluctant one going. And yet, every Saturday, I set off once again – putting myself through my paces for 20 painful minutes. Not because I’m a glutton for punishment, but because it’s a convenient way to support my heart health.
The case for perseverance
As Women’s Health’s Fitness Director, this might seem hypocritical; ‘do the workout you enjoy’ is a piece of advice I dish out more than any other – and I stand by it. It’s true that moving your body in ways you like will help you to forge a healthy relationship with fitness – which you need in order to continue showing up for it. But it’s also true that those of you who aren’t just starting out would benefit from doing small doses of movement that you may not find so fun. Like putting one foot in front of the other with the cardiovascular consequences in mind. And if there’s ever a time to be talking about exercise and enjoyment, it’s now.
This month, more people will call time on their fitness resolution than any other, with studies showing that 80% of people quit their resolutions by February, and the assumption that you should be grinning from ear to ear the entire time looms large among the reasons. Not enjoying something that people proclaim to love must mean you’re not doing it right; and if you’re not doing it right, well, what’s the point? It’s the line of thinking the Molly Mae has followed; speaking in a recent YouTube video, the Love Islander turned fashion founder admitted that exercise makes her feel ‘horrible’ and that she’s never experienced the ‘post-workout high’, so she simply doesn’t do it.
Before you @ me, I’m not saying exercise should make you feel horrible; that’s a recipe for injury and illness, not to mention resentment. But ‘enjoyment’ is a broad church, encompassing everything from feeling calmer than you did when you started (thanks, yoga) to feeling more energised (to which I thank Pilates) and, yes, happier (big up spin classes). So while I consider a workout enjoyable if it puts a smile on my face, having more headspace after a workday in which my shoulders have been up by my ears delivers a different kind of pleasure.
That’s before you consider the specific strain of satisfaction that comes with practised progress; the dopamine that your heaviest ever deadlift delivers, sure, but also the confidence that accompanies mastering a skill. I once loathed weightlifting – and while I told myself the feeling stemmed from it feeling hard, the simple truth is, I was a beginner. And as a beginner, I wasn’t very good. Now, after two years of putting in the hours in the weights section of my gym – along with the one I’ve created at home – I know how to do it properly. And lifting just 1kg more than I did last week is a feeling unmatched in any other area of my life.
Scrolling through my Instagram feed the other day, I came across one expert who claimed that everyone should do all forms of exercise whether you enjoy them or not. She drew a line between physical health and oral health: ‘no dentist would advise brushing your teeth in whatever way you enjoy’, she wrote. While I agree that not every workout will be something to write home about, fitness isn’t flossing; it requires time and – depending on the activity – money. Gyms can feel intimidating and unsafe and in an era when everyone’s an expert, it can be hard to know where to turn to for advice.
The bottom line
If any one of these barriers is preventing you from moving your body, then exercise that you enjoy can act as a gateway drug. But once you’re hooked, there’s a strong case for incorporating all the major forms of movement – cardio, strength, mobility, balance – into your workout week. Doing so will give you the strongest chance of futureproofing your body against osteoporosis, arthritis, heart disease, diabetes and more. Lacing up your trainers with your 80-something self in mind might not be the stuff well-performing Instagram content, but it’s enough to get me out the door come Saturday morning.
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