People might have had to get creative, but throughout the coronavirus pandemic, we’ve found ways to bike, walk, or work out, and it’s offered something that felt comfortingly close to normal. One survey conducted during the pandemic found that 70% of the participants reported doing the same amount of exercise, if not more.
But exercise can be hard, not just for people who are new to it, but also for those who do it regularly. It takes effort and self-regulation. And that can be tiring, especially over the last year, when there was so much to be disciplined about. Sometimes, we just want to get on our walking route or do our program. Exercise becomes the escape from all the “musts” in life. In other words, “Exercise planning is one less thing that you have to think and worry about,” says Kathleen Martin Ginis, professor of health and exercise sciences at the University of British Columbia.
When you permanently go on autopilot, the body and mind eventually become bored.
There’s a relief in that worry-free space, but when you permanently go on autopilot, the body and mind eventually become bored. Exercise that once…