Actually, I knew this all along, but today it was firmly cemented in my mind. Today was my first day back at the hospital as a medical student after having two weeks medicine-free. At the moment I'm on a palliative care and geriatrics rotation, and as positive as I'm trying to be about it, it's really not my cup of tea. I was dreading getting up this morning, so much so that I left it until about 5 minutes before I had to leave. It wasn't such a bad day when I really look at it, it just doesn't give me the joy writing does. So anyway, I came home completely drained and realized that I promised myself I'd go to the gym and do two LesMills classes.
I used to be REALLY fit, and do as much exercise as possible, but somehow medicine has sucked a lot of time out of my life; so i've put on weight and lost enough fitness that exercising is actually a struggle for the first time ever. Today I didn't feel like going, all I wanted to do was curl up in bed and sleep, but I don't like disappointing myself so off I went. I've got to say, as I sit here writing this, after doing 2 hours of solid exercise and burning about 1500 calories; I couldn't feel better. I know it's probably just the endorphins, and they'll wear off soon, but I feel alive and settled. My mind is calm and clear, and I'm actually motivated to get a bit of study done. Whether that eventuates is another story! After doing exercise I feel grounded, and healthier, and I want to be a better me. I don't feel like junk food or snacking and I feel like I can do anything. I don't care if its just the endorphins or chemicals in my body because I feel great; and I love that.
I don't know if you know what LesMills classes are, but pretty much, someone out there decided that aerobics wasn't cool anymore and needed to be jazzed-up and intensified by 1000 times. They released a range of classes from BodyAttack (based on old school aerobics) and BodyCombat (based on MMA) to BodyBalance (pilates + yoga) and RPM (cycling). I can make it sound as fancy as I like, but really its super daggy and I couldn't think of a more enjoyable way to burn calories and improve fitness.
Someone once asked me, "why do you like group fitness? why don't you just jump on a treadmill and run?" and it got me thinking. I think the real reason I love these classes is the atmosphere. You look into a class and you see all these different people, of varying ages, ethnicities, occupations; and they all bring with them a unique story. In the outside world, we wouldn't notice each other really, we'd probably just walk past without a second glance. So we go every week, and essentially all we do is ridiculous movements to pumped up music; together. I think I just love the fact the something so simple, so fundamentally crazy, can unite people in a way that nothing else can.
So today I learnt that whenever I don't feel like doing exercise, is when I need it the most. That exercise challenges me physically and mentally and that it shouldn't have been dropped from my life. From this day onwards I'll try to maintain a level that allows me to be happy with myself. I will make time to do it because in the long run its benefiting me in every way.
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