Yingna

Exercising really makes you feel good

I have been exercising lately. I am trying to create an alternating pattern of 15 minutes one day and 30 minutes the day after, but I sometimes get too weak-willed and don’t exercise. Then I feel guilty like I should make it up. For example, yesterday when I woke up to my alarm (I try to exercise in the mornings), I told myself, “Today is going to be a long day. I have twelve hours of classes. I need my rest. I should just sleep.” And so I slept.

Today when I woke up, I told myself, “I’m tired. I’ll exercise later.”

So tonight, I felt guilty. I had told myself this semester that I was going to start a new exercise regimen and if it died within one week, that really shows just how weak-willed I am. So I forced myself to go down to the gym and I used the elliptical for an hour, while watching a bizarre show called Burn Notice and then switching to Project Runway. Seriously, if you exercise, exercise with the TV. That really takes the mind off of the pain.

When I came back to my dorm, I was a bit tired, but I felt rejuvenated. That is really how exercise goes! You feel tired, but then after you are finished, everything feels better. Your blood is pumping again and you feel more awake. You feel happier.

This may really only be the placebo effect, but I seriously think that exercise has made me happier. I think it has helped me manage all the classwork I have been doing and helped me to not bang my head every second when I get frustrated, and really helped me not to give into watching Hulu anymore.

The sad thing is, the only reason I started exercising is because I realized my health deteriorated from last semester. All I did last semester was sit on my butt and never really move (when I went to class, I always took the shuttle), and when I went home for winter break, I realized my circulation was not that good. I would always get cold hands and feet no matter where I was and that could only be due to lack of exercise. So be healthy! Exercise!