Help: I am SOOO Bored By Exercise

[pressju]

So during Thanksgiving, after a five day stay at a nice hotel with a crappy mattress, I hurt my lower back. I have gone to the chiropractor, worked out throught it but it is still real sore. The truth is, even before that, I was getting so bored and burnt out. Maybe the back was just the final excuse I needed to turn to slugville. I am a serious exerciser - cardio 4x/week including running and kick boxing, 2-3 days weight training (alternating heavy vs. moderate periods),yoga, circuits. You name it. But I started letting the weight training drop a bit, then the yoga, then my running left me breathless. Six days a week heading down to five, and I am pushing to do that. I feel, I don't know - like "compressed", like my body needs to be stretched out and opened up. Even with the yoga and back stretching I have been doing, I feel sore everywhere and tight in not such a good way.

So what have some of you done to shake yourself out of it? Barre workouts? Physique 57? Heavier? Lighter?

Would love to hear your thoughts.

Julie

 

[maddiesmum]

Julie:

I used to do only Cathe workouts and about 4 years ago, I burned out totally on Cathe cardio. I still haven't come back to doing any. Instead, I switched to power walking and running, which was always my first love and after 20 years absence, I came back to it.

Sometimes you need a massive shake up.

If your back lets you, and depending upon where you live, you might like to investigate sporting activities outside and ones that feel more organic to the body, i.e. cycling, hiking, walking, swimming. Swimming and walking/hiking may help you feel "opened up" because of the energizing effects of both water and the fresh air.

Often what I need is to re-think exercise and what it means, why I do it, and what it brings me. I have found that there are things I am no longer able to do because they don't make sense to my mind: continuously lifting increasingly heavy weights just so I can keep breaking through to new levels..... building muscle just for its own sake, inside, in a gym, etc. I reach a point where "doing the thing for its own sake" loses appeal and I need to get back to rethinking the philosophy of physical movement for me.

I now run as my main activity and all my resistance training now makes sense to me because every exercise contributes in some way to strengthening the body for running and preventing injury.

Perhaps rethinking physical activity so it makes more sense to you and responds better to your needs of what you need now mentally is what you should do right now.

Perhaps the yoga but with a teacher in a class and not on your own. Perhaps pilates? Perhaps kettlebells which seem to do it all in a very organic way for the body, i.e., strength without bulk, facilitating everyday activities and preventing injury as we age.

And by the way, there is nothing wrong with just stopping all of it for a while. Just stop exercising. It may also be that your mind needs feeding and in a different way, not with exercise but with intellectual and creative stimulation. Learning a language, a craft, a new dance style, whatever. It may be that the body needs top rest for a while so you can now focus on the mind.

Clare

 

[PhyllisG]

I too needed a break and the first to go was hi impact cardio. I completed both a STS and CLX rotation by the end of the summer and that was it. I seriously needed a break and tried barre work which I found I really like. I also got Ellen Barrett's Studio Series which really helped with the feeling of stretching but toning at the same time. Another one I like is Ruah Movement's Release. I find this both soothing and invigorating. I find CardioBarre to be a lot of fun and I am liking those lite little weights with lots of reps and I mean lots of reps. They actually slimmed and toned my arms really nicely. I tried to get back into yoga but that just wasn't working but I found that yoga/pilates fusion work was more to my liking. Good luck and I hope you find something you can connect with.

 

[Little Lady]

Maybe you would enjoy joining a gym.

 

[Govtgirl]

Clare, that was like, the best....post....ever.

I started to write more, but you said it all. Great advice.

 

[PhatFitness]

Sounds like you need to have some fun with your workout. Check out the Brazil Butt Lift series from Beach Body. It's sounds like a lot of fun.

http://www.thecathenation.com/forum/showthread.php?t=270621

 

[hoffmasa]

Clare - thank you for your post. I needed to hear that too. I also get burnt out at times. I think it may be the time of year... it's dark and cold in the morning and so hard to get motivated...

 

[DEEDEE2]

So during Thanksgiving, after a five day stay at a nice hotel with a crappy mattress, I hurt my lower back. I have gone to the chiropractor, worked out throught it but it is still real sore. The truth is, even before that, I was getting so bored and burnt out. Maybe the back was just the final excuse I needed to turn to slugville. I am a serious exerciser - cardio 4x/week including running and kick boxing, 2-3 days weight training (alternating heavy vs. moderate periods),yoga, circuits. You name it. But I started letting the weight training drop a bit, then the yoga, then my running left me breathless. Six days a week heading down to five, and I am pushing to do that. I feel, I don't know - like "compressed", like my body needs to be stretched out and opened up. Even with the yoga and back stretching I have been doing, I feel sore everywhere and tight in not such a good way.

So what have some of you done to shake yourself out of it? Barre workouts? Physique 57? Heavier? Lighter?

Would love to hear your thoughts.

Julie

Julie, I know how you feel. I LOVE my karate training, but I have been getting more and more bored with it over the last few months. So I have decided what I need to do is try something a little different. After the next testing, I'm going to take 2 months off from class (I will still practice on my own) and really get into weight work and weapons training with another school...my school doesn't offere weapons training except for street defense. I will never quit karate, I know I will be back after the 8 weeks away, but it will give me something new to try. I have no doubt that being away for a little while and doing something different will re-ignite my passion for karate. I am one who needs variety.