From a young age I’ve been addicted to exercise (in a great way). I remember reading about age eleven about a thing called a ‘runners high’. I thought ‘I’ve got to get me one of those’! I was intrigued by the body’s ability to create an amazing high so naturally. I finally got a runners high (you have to get through the building fitness stage first) about age 14. On the weekend me and my sister would run through the forest near our house and run along the beach. Sometimes we’d be gone for two hours! Getting home exhausted with my legs and lungs’ burning was the best feeling.
I know some people have never exercised regularly in their lives – to them it’s unthinkable, boring and torturous. Anyone who thoroughly loves exercise can’t understand how people can feel like that. They are missing out on a huge, free natural pleasure. Some non-exercisers try to start but do too much too soon (i.e. a 10km run) instead of attempting a 15-minute walk and building on it. They end up in agony for a good week afterwards and swear they’ll never attempt exercise ever again. Many ‘non exercisers’ do become addicted to it also when they build up slowly. They realise how mad they were for not doing it earlier. They regret having never explored it in the past. When they think of their old attitude to exercise they are embarrassed and annoyed - they can’t believe they let themselves believe such rubbish “exercise is torture” for so long.
I would go mad if I couldn’t exercise. Because I work sitting at a computer for long stretches I adore ‘walk o’clock’. I get OUTSIDE! I smell fresh air! I feel the sun on my skin. I walk to the river near my house and see ducklings. For 45 minutes a day I am ‘free’ out and about just pounding the pavement, looking at nature and getting amongst it.
Exercise is a great time to:
Do affirmations
Visualise what you want to attract into your life
Pray
Send a secret blessing to everyone you pass
Get grateful – list gazillions of things you are grateful about in your life
By using your mind productively during exercise too (especially in such positive ways as above) you are truly nurturing your body and spirit. If you were to just ponder work problems you’d be taxed by the time you finished. The time would be wasted as by doing positive things with your brain you are using the power of intention and the law of attraction – exercise becomes a time of planning and preparing your exciting future.
If you are a non exerciser ask yourself why. List the ways your life would be different if you did exercise. Set yourself small goals such as a ten minute walk – after two weeks you will probably make it longer and refuse to live without it.