‎”People rarely succeed unless they have fun in what they are doing.”

On May 10, 2012 by Juliet

[I stole that quote from Rog Lawson on Facebook.]

I was going to post the epic conclusion to yesterday’s post on fasting, which is mostly already written, but I got wrapped up in another thought this morning. If you have stumbled your way into my spec of the interwebz at Hey Joob, you likely fit into one or two exceedingly small niches:

  • You like to lift heavy things and move them around for s’s & g’s.
  • You eat paleo.
  • You’re new to it all and hoping to learn something. (I’m not sure I’m your best resource, but that’s a debate for another time.)

While I love you all, unfortunately, this keeps me sheltered and forgetful of….everyone else.

This morning I did something I haven’t done in months. I got up early. I drank a cup of coffee and hauled myself to the gym. I plugged into a podcast and walked on the treadmill for 45 minutes. WWWHHHHHYYYYYYY?!

(I googled imaged “WHY” and got that cat. I loved it, despite its creepiness.)

I did it because I don’t move enough and walking is good for you. GOT IT?! No, really. Listen… I love to lift. I would do it every day if it didn’t leave me feeling like total crap. I’m not so eager about cardio. Short intervals and longer, steady state alike. So when I’ve worked 8 hours a day and then go to the gym, I want to get my work done, go home, eat dinner, and sit on my fat ass.

This means I lift. It also means my cardio has been dwindled down to none + sporadic conditioning work because it’s short. Call me lazy, I don’t care. As human beings, however, we’re meant to move a lot more than the 3.5-4 hours a week I get in from lifting.

I’M GOING TO MOVE MORE STARTING AN HOUR AND A HALF AGO. For general health mind you, not fat loss. (I have no idea how that endeavor is going, btw. I guess it’s okay? I don’t care.) It really wasn’t so bad with a podcast to keep my mind occupied.

This whole thing got me thinking, however.

Lifting heavy is ideal for building strong, healthy, and vibrant lives with bodies that reflect that. But….BUT. Not everyone likes lifting. Shock. I know. This is where I am going to get skewered or disowned by my readers:

I think it is crucial people do what they like, even if it is not lifting.

If you tell me you genuinely like spending hours a week on the treadmill, elliptical, stepper, whatever then get to it. If you like running, run. If you like walking, walk. If you like dancing nekked in your living room to dubstep, dance nekked in your living room to dubstep. (And pull down the blinds so your neighbors can’t see you)

Fact. If you don’t genuinely enjoy doing what you’re doing, you’re not going to do it. Or, at least, you won’t keep it up. Like me and cardio except I am going to keep it up (lulz). Mama Joob said something that really struck me a few months ago. Really, it was something another woman said to her.

(I’m paraphrasing.) “Keep coming and working hard, but not to the point where you stop enjoying it.”

That’s what she does. She started going with her friends and was enjoying it for a time. Then it got tedious, she stopped liking it, working out became work, and  she went less often. (Sound familiar?) Then a woman said that to her and guess what? She’s still going to the gym months later because she started listening to her body and does it in a way that’s enjoyable. If she wants to stop…she stops.

Is she squatting and deadlifting? Not likely. Do I care? Hell no. I’m so freaking proud of her it’s unbelievable.

Another case that I think is just ridiculously awesome is my friend’s daughter. She made a new years resolution to run every day of 2012. You better believe she has run every day this year. She even got up at midnight one night to run because she was going on a class trip that day and wouldn’t be able to otherwise. Talk about drive and motivation.

So, yeah.

My point is this:
I’ll take sub-optimal any day (and encourage it) over nothing at all.

Outside of our “heavy lifting rocks everything else sucks” universe, the world is still going and people are still living their lives. Jobs, bills, families, trips, sickness, etc. all still keep happening and not everyone can prioritize moving like those of us who drink the lifting Kool-Aid.

Though, I do still think everyone should lift.

Category :
Cardio, fat loss, Motivation
  • http://www.onefitfoodie.com/ Naomi(onefitfoodie)

    wow I absolutely love this post! I see it so much with competitors, the idea that your mom said. DO something you love but not to the point where you stop enjoying it. So many times these girls so so all out, balls to the wall WAY to much, then they do their show, then they stop all exercise all together, binge, gain weight and go in this downward spiral. It is soimportant to understand the why behind what you are doing and if you truly enjoy it.

    I think its great that you have this new goal, and it will be so easy to achieve. And I say this all the time….exercise should be ENJOYABLE and something that takes stress away not something that causes you more stress!

    you rock!

    • http://heyjoob.com Juliet

      LOL It will be so easy to achieve if I stop being so lazy. I frequently find myself talking myself out of cardio for “justified” reasons WOMPPPP. You’re right though, it is crucial to assess the whys behind what you’re doing. Why do it otherwise?!

  • http://almostovernow.com/ Jess

    Love you, love that cat.

    I’m sick of the whole ‘running is making you fat’ movement. Umm, no, eating too much is making me fat. How many pro-marathon runners do we see with any visible body fat? I can’t name a single one. I do *some* strength training but mostly it bores me to tears. Body Pump I can live with, and I’ll finish the strength portions of LiveFit if it kills me (while still running my usual distances) but honestly I can’t ever become a committed ‘lifter’ because it’s just not my thing. So I guess I don’t fit any of the categories above!

    xxx

    • http://heyjoob.com Juliet

      Hey, if you like running, run your little butt off. I do, however, believe we shouldn’t really compare ourselves to professional athletes when we aren’t them ourselves… They spend hours and hours a day training and watch their diets meticulously.

      Us mere mortals are okay to have a lil bit of fluff to love ;)

  • Stephanie @Itrainthereforeieat

    Awesome post! Although I agree with your last thought there, and in a perfect world Everyone would do some sort of strength/resistance training, it’s just not going to happen. My mom is in the same boat as yours — she worked out for a while but then stopped because it started feeling like a job. Now she’s back at it and loving it, and I’m loving every minute of HER loving it! Although I do feel like many people don’t challenge themselves enough, I really just think that as long as people are doing Something active, that’s absolutely a step in the right direction. Baby steps are ok too :)

    • http://heyjoob.com Juliet

      I agree with it all! BUTbut… at the same time… not everyone wants to challenge themselves. Most just want to get in, get their fit on, and leave. But hey, that’s life.

      Baby steps are totez the ways to go IMO (for most, not all)

  • http://teabagginit.wordpress.com/ Teabagginit

    i totally agree that you have to love what you do (and what you eat) in order to keep with it. it’s the consistency that counts! i tried lifting seriously and i just hated it. i honestly love running, the longer the better. it took me a while to not feel self conscious about that. but i’ve embraced it and moved on. you can only fight against yourself for so long!

    • http://heyjoob.com Juliet

      I remember when you made that transition! I’m so happy you’ve found what you love and are ‘running with it’ GET IT?!

  • Kylee

    YES! I just had this conversation with my friend yesterday. She loves zumba and she goes 3 days a week and I am proud of her! If people dont like what they are doing then there is not much point. I have also tried moving more. I have started doing 1-2 hours steady state cardio, mostly because I love going for walks with my friends. I also have started walking at lunch even if it is just for 20 mins.

    • http://heyjoob.com Juliet

      Maybe I need to bring friends with me, that’s a fabulous idea! HMM. You just reminded me I need to bring my lunch to work today too so I might walk and eat. Great stuff!

  • Meg

    love this post sweetie! you nailed it! you should be doing what you love and makes you feel good about YOU :D

    • http://heyjoob.com Juliet

      YES MA’AM! You got it <3

  • http://www.followingfit.com/ Kristen @ Following Fit

    Being a trainer has made me realize this more and more — not everyone will want to lift heavy 87x a week. Not everyone even wants to lift “heavy.” And while I will do everything I can to encourage a program that will give a client the most bang for her buck, and I will do my best to implement that program for her, I have take a step back from my OWN goals and make sure I am implementing the CLIENT’S goals. If she’s happy and healthy, then I am doing my job.

  • marie

    As one of my friends says, the best exercise is the one you’ll actually do. I like strength training, but not everyone does, and that’s ok. I also like spinning, walking, and pilates, and I do them, too. Yes, I realize that being a jill of all of these things means I probably won’t be a mistress of any one of them, and I’m ok with that. My goal is to be active, and to enjoy being active, for the rest of my life, and I think doing all of the things I enjoy will get me there.

    I also realize that we all change over time. Who knows, I could wake up one morning and decide that I want to single-mindedly pursue a 3x bodyweight deadlift or do a sprint tri. It doesn’t seem likely, but life often takes unexpected turns.

    Thanks for starting this discussion! I think it’s good for us all to be reminded that there are many paths that one can take to find her happy place.