Kicking and screaming

Updated Jun 27, 2014

My husband and I both are trying to get in better shape and lose some weight, and we’re both fortunate to have a gym membership. But there are just those days when hitting the gym is just not on the radar for me.

A few nights ago, I was feeling down about some interpersonal goings-on in my life, tired from work and generally in a bad mood. Bobby, who has been on a huge health and fitness kick of late (blame it on the new year, I guess), decided this meant I needed a workout. I resisted, but he knows me too well. Every trick in the book, from whining about going by himself to reminding me how I want to lose weight to telling me I was wasting money on the membership by not going. Sounds mean, but it did the trick.

The funny thing was, once I had just sucked it up and went to the gym, it wasn’t so bad. I plugged up my iPhone and went to town on the elliptical and treadmill, and I forgot about a lot of the junk that had been on my mind. And afterwards, I was tired but felt better.

According to Mayo Clinic, “physical activity stimulates various brain chemicals that may leave you feeling happier and more relaxed than you were before you worked out.” I’ve definitely felt the effects of that. When I went the other night, I was really down in the dumps before working out; working out didn’t solve my problems, but it brought a surprising amount of relief to me physically and emotionally. So getting off my butt and to the gym was a good choice.

Have any of you experienced something similar in choosing to exercise?