Reclaim Exercise For Enjoyment- Leave the Punishment for Prisoners
Have you wondered why people say running is a punishment? Probably not. Most people make and accept this association at an early age. Then, they move forward in life with conflicting attitudes towards exercise. On one hand, they feel like they should exercise because it’s good for them, but on the other hand, they don’t like it- it feels like a punishment. However, a substantial body of research brings good news. Exercise doesn’t have to be a punishment. Instead, exercise can be FUN and ENJOYABLE!
History of Exercise and Punishment
You might be surprised to learn that part of the reason many people believe exercise is a punishment is because of the long-standing history of the use of exercise as a punishment. The etymology of the word treadmill dates back to the 1800’s. Inventor, William Cubitt, noticed prisoners idling the time away. So, he designed and built a devise to allow prisoners to pass the time more productively. Specifically, prisoners were forced to grind flour with a TREADMILL.
Furthermore, prisoners were flogged, run to exhaustion, and injured when working on these treadmills. This hard labor punishment was the first recorded use of the word treadmill in the English language. With increased industrialization of society, treadmills in prisons became a thing of the past. However, in the 1950’s the term was resurrected with the invention of the gym equipment with a similar pattern of “the road to nowhere.”
Associations Die Hard
Ironically, these prisoners on the treadmill look a lot like exercisers in a modern-day gym. Thus, the associations between treadmill exertion and punishment have been perpetuated and continue still today. When our PE teachers and sport coaches punished us with running and push-ups as a punishment, they ingrained in us the association between exercise and punishment.
Exercise and Control
One of our most basic needs as humans is for control. Therefore, you can make just about anything a punishment if you force it on someone and take away their sense of freedom to choose. For example, let’s say you like to eat brownies. You may think of them as a special treat.
Imagine now, that you were locked in a jail cell and forced to eat those brownies until you were sick. Then, you were flogged until you ate another pan. Over time, the smell of brownies in the oven would not be so sweet.
Physical activity, exercise, and running are not inherently punishments. However, when they are implemented in a way that takes our control and are associated with physical pain, over time, they become a punishment. Not surprisingly, after a century of pairing physical exertion with prison punishment and running for punishment in gym class, negative attitudes to physical exertion are still alive and well today.
Feel Alive and Enjoy Exercise
It’s time to reclaim exercise as our own; not something that we’re forced to do by our doctor, PE teacher, coach, spouse, or the prison warden. Let me be clear, it doesn’t matter if other’s try to manipulate us, whether we exercise or not is ALWAYS OUR CHOICE. Therefore, we can choose exercise for ourselves and our own reasons.
How to Reclaim Exercise for Enjoyment:
We can re-associate exercise with enjoyment using the following steps:
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REASON
Remember that one of our basic needs as humans is to feel in control of our lives. When you exercise because your wife has been nagging you or because your doctor has threatened to put you on blood pressure medication, you are starting your exercise program with a low dose of intrinsic motivation.
Instead, if you want to enjoy exercise, it’s critical to thoughtfully reflect on YOUR REASONS to exercise. The person who exercises because they want to for their reasons has a sense of control over their exercise time. The person who exercises because their wife wants them to lose weight is a prisoner. All-too-often prisoners drop out of exercise after the warden is out of sight.
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MODE
Choose modes of exercise that you like. Don’t like to run? Try swimming, biking, dancing, hiking, weight lifting, or any mode of activity that you enjoy. We gain physical and mental health benefits from ALL kinds of movement.
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INTENSITY
Choose intensities that YOU like. Most people prefer moderate intensity exercise. However, if you like high intensity exercise, do it. When we choose an intensity that we like, it makes exercise more enjoyable and we’re more likely to stick to an exercise program.
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COMMUNITY
Some people report that exercising with a friend or group is more enjoyable than exercising alone. If that resonates with you, seek out others that enjoy the same mode and intensity of exercise and join them. This could be signing up for a local soccer league, joining a group of mall walkers, or attending a yoga class. Plan family events at the park where you can throw a Frisbee or go on a hike together. You don’t have to exercise with others every time, but occasional social support with exercise can enhance enjoyment and keep your regimen interesting.
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CELEBRATE
When you achieve goals in your exercise program, stop- and celebrate them. Maybe you just started a walking program and you are able to walk 15 minutes before becoming fatigued. Over time, your body will adapt to your efforts and you will become stronger and more cardiovascularly fit. Soon enough, you’ll be able to walk 30 minutes before feeling fatigued. Making achievements in our health and fitness is important and exciting. When we stop to celebrate our accomplishments, it’s rewarding and motivating.
In summary, let’s make positive associations with exercise for reasons that WE CHOOSE, doing modes and intensities that WE LIKE, and with people that WE LOVE. Exercise will become something that not only provides physical health benefits for us, but it will also enriches our lives.
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References:
Geri Walton. (1905). Treadmill for Punishment. August 19, 2017. In the Public Domain: https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&ved=0ahUKEwiuoOH9997VAhVM2IMKHfjrCYoQjxwIAw&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.geriwalton.com%2Fthe-treadmill-for-punishmen%2F&psig=AFQjCNHMtek7V67cAENHnswQDvGkZFrhVw&ust=1503081587165308
NACDublin. ToneZone-Gym-Dublin-Jan2013. August 17, 2017. In the public domain: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:ToneZone-Gym-Dublin-Jan2013.jpg
Preston Digital Archive/Public domain. (1900). Road to nowhere. August 19, 2017. In the Public Domain: http://www.haggardhawks.com/single-post/2016/11/25/Treadmill
Thøgersen-Ntoumani, C., & Ntoumanis, N. (2006). The role of self-determined motivation in the understanding of exercise-related behaviours, cognitions and physical self-evaluations. Journal of Sports Sciences, 24, 4.
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