Find Some Exercise You Can Enjoy

Unfortunately, many people associate exercise with work. They can't imagine doing any kind of exercise for fun. This is often true for people who are overweight. Yet at Structure House, I often see people's faces light up when they sample new kinds of exercise and realize that they actually enjoy them. They realize that exercise can be a kind of play - not just laborious "working out." When they walk the Duke Trail in Durham, Structure House participants talk, laugh, and focus on one another, enjoying the time to socialize with the walk. When they take our dance classes, their faces look radiant as they discover ways of combining creativity with exercise. When they experiment with weights, stair climbers, treadmills, or other kinds of exercise equipment, they discover their own untapped potential for strength and stamina. Exercise isn't just about discipline. That's certainly an element - but it's also about learning to do something worthwhile and enjoyable.

How can you find types of exercise that you will enjoy? One option is to try something you've enjoyed in the past but stopped doing as you gained weight. Walking, hiking, and swimming are all good. Alternatively, you might try something altogether new. That's a great way to begin. Just tell yourself, "Okay, I'm going to sample this. I'm going to get a taste of the experience." Trying something even once may be sufficient to clarify whether you like it or not. Don't prejudge the outcome. Just be as present to the experience as possible. Give your full attention to it. Sometimes that first experience will show you that you'll really enjoy what you tried and that you want to come back for more.

One possibility: go to a gym with a friend. Focus on being together and supporting each other. Pick a time when you feel more comfortable - a time when it's a little less busy at the gym, perhaps. You can also try to find an environment that works for you - whether that means among people of your own gender or general age group. Another possibility is to create your own small-scale home gym with just some basic equipment, such as free weights of a bench.

Exercise is a crucial component of any successful weight control program. No matter what your age, gender, interests, or skill level, there is an almost limitless variety of options available to you as you explore the world of exercise.

p. 135-6 Structure House, Gerald Musante