Punishing Yourself with the Gym
I do an excessive amount of people watching in the gym…I’m sure most people there think I’m a bit weird as I’m always scanning the room observing what everyone is doing, and I’ve come to the realization that although on the surface it seems that everyone is there simply to ‘workout’ and ‘get in shape’ there is much more going on under the surface.
Is your workout invigorating or a punishment?
I came to this realization when I started paying attention to the facial expressions of each person while they’re at the gym.
Some look calm, some look happy, others look determined, some look desperate, and some look like they’re flat out in pain, and other look hopeless.
All of these expressions are completely separate from the story their physical body is telling.
In some cases a person who seems to be in good ‘shape’ looks desperate and stressed. In other cases an individual who obviously has a ways to go in order to get into what would be considered good ‘shape’ has a calm and confident look on their face.
In some cases it appears that people are there not for the invigorating and gratifying experience that working out can deliver but rather as a self mortification ritual…in other words, to punish themselves.
It has become apparent to me that when someone is attempting to get in shape part of the journey is diet, and other is exercise. Diet is much harder to stick to and commonly has feelings of failure and guilt associated when things don’t go as planned. It would seem that at least some people use the gym to punish themselves with exercise for their failings in dieting.
This can create a vicious cycle that leads to a miserable experience in both aspects of dieting and exercise and could sour a person to the entire journey for good.
If you currently workout or are thinking about working out, think about why you do it, and never use exercise as a form of punishment. If a workout doesn’t feel good, or invigorating or gratifying then you’re not in the correct mindset to be there. Take some time off, re-evaluate what you’re doing the approach your next workout with a fresh mindset.
Your workout should always be a positive experience for both mind and body.
John
2 Responses to “Punishing Yourself with the Gym”
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January 19th, 2012 at 4:50 pm
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All good.
What I was going to say is that I try to keep diet and exercise a little bit separated in my mind. Exercise supports what I am already doing with diet, and IS FUN.
I used to train myself into the ground, for example, on ‘treat meal’ days, I’d do an extra hour of fairly intense cardio in the morning). Although I did look ‘thin’, I never had energy and was like the walking wounded with injuries. I learned something when I had surgery and couldn’t exercise for six weeks. I kept my eating good and didn’t gain any fat, losing only a tiny amount of muscle (like 100 grams or something), if the BIA is to be trusted.
Diet and Mental Focus are crucial, then support that with smart training. Disclaimer: I’m a psych and nutrition student, so you’d probably expect me to take this approach!
January 24th, 2012 at 12:14 pm
This is the most inspiring, motivating fitness blog I have ever read- stumbled on fitnessblackbook and promptly bought AGD and ESE. It has been working well for me so far! Your knowledge and perspective has really made me realize that the fitness industry is full of ridiculous information. I’m an RN and an advanced degree nursing student (to be a nurse practitioner, I think they have those in Canada) so I have a pretty good working knowledge of nutrition/biology/physiology and I really enjoy the paradigm shift presented in your blog.
This post is spot-on- I live in an active city and the gym is always packed with people running on treadmills, circuit training, etc…but few are truly lean. Most of my peers have the ” I worked out to eat”mindset which is just an uphill battle. Thanks for the great blog, I’ve read most of your postings and will continue to follow.