For the past two weeks I have forced myself to drink a small glass of kombucha everyday. I cringe, shiver, and gag whenever I drink it. The reason I am doing this is merely because I was told “it is good for you.” I don’t enjoy it, it is not a pleasurable experience. I don’t know how long I can keep this up!
In our country, 33% of adults over age 20 have been told by their doctors to increase their physical activity because “it is good for you.” (1)
Certainly, there is compelling medical data supporting the doctors' directives, yet many Americans do NOT do what is “good for them.”
- only 53% of adults over age 18 meet the CDC’s Physical Activity Guidelines, (150 minutes of aerobic activity per week).
- At age 65 that percentage drops to 46%
- At age 75 it drops to 32%. (2)
Forcing yourself to do something merely because “it is good for you” is unsustainable, extremely unpleasant, and can be expensive.
I agree with G. K. Chesterton, who wrote:
Medical researchers have repeatedly documented “our necessities” – the physical needs and health benefits of exercise - but we get to choose how to accept them as “luxuries.”
If exercise is merely a “necessity,” then I would ride a stationary bike for X miles or X minutes while watching “Barney Miller” reruns. (😒boring!) But if exercise is a “luxury,” then I am going to choose a physical activity - running, walking, hiking, yoga, etc. - that I ENJOY, that I want to EXPERIENCE. 😀
My choice is running. During each run, I explore my community; greet people; appreciate sights, sounds, smells; think; and, many times, pause to take photographs. I enjoy what I am experiencing – it is a luxury!
If exercise is merely a “necessity,” then I would ride a stationary bike for X miles or X minutes while watching “Barney Miller” reruns. (😒boring!) But if exercise is a “luxury,” then I am going to choose a physical activity - running, walking, hiking, yoga, etc. - that I ENJOY, that I want to EXPERIENCE. 😀
My choice is running. During each run, I explore my community; greet people; appreciate sights, sounds, smells; think; and, many times, pause to take photographs. I enjoy what I am experiencing – it is a luxury!
The psychological benefits of experiencing exercise as a luxury come from “learning how to enjoy our enjoyments.” And they are just as important as the physical benefits of exercise. These benefits became evident in a recent study of “awe walks.” In this study, 60 older adults went on weekly 15-minute outdoor “awe walks” for 8 weeks.
During these “awe walks,” physical exercise was not the focus. Instead, participants focused on the wonders around them and simply enjoyed their experience. They used their senses, took photographs and recorded the emotions they felt. At the end of the study, the “awe walk” participants had completed 14 hours of physical activity and, most importantly, reported greater increases in daily, positive emotions and greater decreases in daily distress. They “learned to enjoy their enjoyments!” (5)
During these “awe walks,” physical exercise was not the focus. Instead, participants focused on the wonders around them and simply enjoyed their experience. They used their senses, took photographs and recorded the emotions they felt. At the end of the study, the “awe walk” participants had completed 14 hours of physical activity and, most importantly, reported greater increases in daily, positive emotions and greater decreases in daily distress. They “learned to enjoy their enjoyments!” (5)
If it wasn't fun, I wouldn't do it!
For me, participating in physical activities merely because they are “good for you” is boring and unsustainable. I run because it is an enjoyable luxury, an experience I look forward to everyday. The physical benefits are a bonus.
Running is “good for me.” 👍👍
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