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Hate Exercise? The Key is Semantics
Language might be holding you back
Type in ‘exercise’ to Pinterest, Instagram, Unsplash, whatever, and you’ll be greeted with motivational quotes, bottles with ‘hilarious’ phrases and images of muscles pumping iron.
I get it. Companies know that few people want to hit the gym after a day of work so they offer us shiny wearables, colourful lycra and accessories with bon mots like, ‘Gym? I Thought You Said Gin.’
The term ‘exercise’ makes us think of hard work, pain, sweat and a general ‘meh’ feeling. Exercise to adults is what leaf green vegetables are to children. Something forced upon us from well-meaning experts. The issue is that, as adults, we don’t have to take them up on it.
But the tactics are the same. Eat your vegetables and you can have ice cream for afters. Go to the gym and you can have wine for afters. I mean, the difference is minimal.
I don’t think the actual doing of the exercise is necessarily the problem though. I think it’s semantics.
‘Exercise’ has poor connotations
I live near a massive national park. Massive for England at any rate. In fact, I live near an abundance of outdoor space and consider it both lucky and inspired that I chose this area as my home.
