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| My Saturday night adventures....................working on my flying pigeon arm balance pose. My idea of a fun way to get your heart rate up! |
I hate cardio. Like I REALLY hate cardio.
If you know me.........in "real" life you know that I detest running. Always have, always will. Yet I've always felt that I should put "run a marathon (um, I mean half)" on my bucket list. SO many other people push themselves to do it........why can't I?
Well, because I hate it. And I was just comparing myself to other people and feeling like I was not measuring up to some imagined expectation I made of myself. My competitive spirit felt a little (big) streak of jealousy each time I heard about someone else's accomplishment of running 13 or 26 miles and not dying.
I swear I would die. Physically, and more importantly mentally. Running is mental torture for me.
So I've given up on my non-dream. And now "run a @#$#'ing marathon" is on my non-bucket list. The list of things I am promising to myself I will never do.
Freedom.
I don't like running. I don't generally like cardio, not the traditional kind anyway.
So I don't do it. I don't do aerobics anymore. I don't even do much HIIT anymore. And I certainly don't turn on my treadmill anymore.
Those of you who think I'm a fitness fanatic might be scratching your heads. No cardio. How can that be?
I've changed my approach to exercise. I don't punish my body anymore doing things I don't enjoy. I don't work out like a madwoman when I'm exhausted. I don't constantly PUNISH my very weak adrenals by working myself to the point of severe exhaustion. And I don't punish my mind anymore by feeling like I'm not measuring up.
Don't get me wrong. I work out hard. When, if and how I feel like it.
I started dancing again. Joy.
I do yoga - hot, intense, flow, yin, gentle - whatever class I can get to. Esctasy.
And I go to the gym to lift some weights, stretch, do yoga poses, balance on the Bosu. Whatever I'm in the mood for.
The reward of not punishing my body with exercise that I hate is that I crave my workouts. Not just the end - the sense of accomplishment when its over. The actual process. I can't wait to get to my next class. I guess because I'm doing things I love, and I know that if I'm not up for it, I will just take it easy. And that's okay.
Its working for me. I feel fit. I feel strong.
I'll see you at the finish line...................but I'll just be cheering you on or stretching in the cool down area!
