Exercise is hard, I hate it, and I have to do it
In 2018 I bought a Peloton bike. Since then, I think I’ve ridden it about 100 times. Always in fits and starts, too. I’ll ride it consistently for a few weeks here and there, then get sick or distracted and stop doing it. Based on that, I would say this has not been the investment I might have hoped it would be.
There are a lot of things to hate about working out. It’s boring. It takes time. It’s hard. Everyone says to find something you like, and it will be easy. That’s hard too. The closest I ever got to this was when I did Aikido for about a year and a half. Then I moved, felt like I regressed, started going less, moved again, and never found a new place to practice. Also, I never got good at the rolls, which is a real blocker in a martial art where large parts consist of getting through headfirst toward the floor.
Of all the things I hate about exercise, however, number one is how effective it is for improving my mental health. I can be sitting at home, unable to focus, having a bum out, thinking everyone hates me, get on the bike for twenty minutes, and feel 80% better. It’s pretty clear if I did this consistently enough to see real progress, my baseline mental state would be significantly improved.
Here’s another thing — I’m thirty-eight now. My blood pressure and cholesterol aren’t at the point of “we need to put you on medication,” but they’ve been hovering around “let’s keep an eye on this” for quite a while now. Regular exercise is pretty much guaranteed to improve that.
So, I got on the bike today. I’m going to try and get on it again tomorrow. I’m going to look into going to a boxing gym near my house. I don’t know if this time will be different, but I owe it to myself to try harder than I have in the past. Let’s see if I can cross 200 rides by the end of the year.
All my health stats are already tracked via my Apple Watch, and I’ve already been tracking my mood somewhat consistently. I’m going to try and post updates with any changes I see in order to give me a little bit of accountability.
If you're on Peloton, look me up as “FishermansPorch” and we can be friends.
Wish me luck.