One morning at a BNI meeting I listened to the member who owns a childcare centre and preschool. The educators at the centre teach the kids quite a lot through play and she challenged us the next week to get into some adult play and fun. Now I know, I know, you could read some things into that, and if you do, well good on you! But I took her challenge seriously and it got me thinking.
Now, I have some adult fun every day. I hit the gym and do a workout. I love to throw some bumper plates around and challenge myself with a new skill or mastering an old one. And to me, doing a CrossFit workout is just that: fun!
I see and hear of so many things like: ‘Oh my workout was awful’ or ‘My trainer pushed me til I threw up, I don’t think I’ll go back’. Of course you won’t! Where is the fun in exerting yourself til you vomit??!
Your workouts should be enjoyable.
I was getting a coffee recently and the owner of the café asked me: ‘Jim, is running good for fitness?’ I replied with: ‘Let me answer that with a question. Do you enjoy it?’ He said: ‘I love it!’So my response was: ‘Then it is great for your fitness.’ If he had replied that he hated it, then I would have suggested he seek out an alternative. But because he loves it then, for him, it is the best type of exercise to do for fitness.
I always come across articles, blog posts, opinion pieces and Facebook posts about someone’s training being the best way or the optimum to train and ‘look your best’. But if you can’t tolerate the way that is and you simply hate that training style, you are never going to stick with it, and while it may just be THE best way of looking your best, you most certainly will not feel your best. If you dread going somewhere to do something this will eventually flow into other areas of your life. You need to train and exercise the way you enjoy the most.
So, to wrap up… Are you doing something you enjoy? Are you doing it for the right reasons (a little hint wanting to look your best will wear off as a reason VERY quickly)? Are you having some adult fun?
Because, that is what it is about: if you aren’t having any adult fun and are just going through the motions, everything will become a chore. Now, the type of adult fun you have is completely up to you 😉
About the Author
Jim Ridley is Armidale’s accomplished personal trainer. Having lost over 25 kilos and becoming a PT, Jim knows where you are coming from. He is the owner of Gym Ridz Personal Training and CrossFit Armidale, the only private training studio in Armidale, 2012 Winner of the Health, Beauty and Wellbeing section in the Armidale Chamber of Commerce Business Awards and Armidale’s only CrossFit gym. He is also an avid, if not tragic, St George Illawarra Dragons fan.