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laura wilton • August 5, 2021
Exercise: a love\hate relationship
Wanting to be more active:
A recent survey I carried out indicated all participants (except one!) wanting to be more active. The one who opted for 'no' was already very active with at least 150+ minutes a week exercise!
This led me to consider the barriers to being more active, most noted was the lack of time and childcare. The survey was a research tool for me to gain some insight into how to set up the handbike hire to meet customer needs, which has led me to question 'if we have limited free time, surely we'd want to spend it doing something we love?'
Couple that thought with a comment I often get when out riding 'I bet that's hard work eh love!' and I'm suddenly wondering how shared that perception might be? Who wants to spend precious free time doing hard work?!?!
My response to that is that handbike doesn't have to be hard work! There's an electric assist on it so that I can choose between using the bike as a way to have a nice easy trip or to work a bit more on my fitness levels. I've been slowly building myself up and setting goals which has been a great sense of achievement, and I can see progress in my increased energy level. I'm not riding around with mega buff arms so there's a big visual clue that it's not too hard! However, it is still exercise. Yeah I've just said that word...EXERCISE! I'm not sure how that word makes you feel, but for me there are mixed emotions.
As an ex member of the gym I look back on my time there as a love hate relationship. I LOVED my time there because I got to hang out with my niece as her gym buddy, it's nice to have company! I'd signed up purely to support her and it worked well. I'd highly recommend a buddy as you feel like you don't want to bail out on someone so you stick to going. Personally I saw it as time out of the house for me to chill a bit, no demand to hit a certain weight or lift a set amount, just a no pressure thing. I admired my nieces dedication and loved seeing her getting stronger as the weeks passed, but I couldn't say the same about me.
I didn't know at that point that I had SPG5a and was beginning to get frustrated with not seeing even slight improvements. Having started the gym with a happy-go-lucky vibe I'd found myself sliding towards HATE for my body for struggling, it was even starting to go backwards and I seemed to be getting worse!!!
In my case it triggered the journey that led to my diagnosis and an explanation for my steep drop in performance! I wasn't doing the right exercise for me and was putting strain on myself. It's important to find the right exercise for you.
Unsurprisingly, science offers up an explanation for my love / hate exercise relationship:
According to science, the reason you hate exercise so much (you might not hate it!) might have nothing to do with the actual exercise, but rather a problem that runs much deeper:
Weight loss is often peoples focus at the gym (think: weighing themselves each time, calorie burn workouts, or rigid schedules with the hope of losing weight). People also often focus on their perceived flaws as motivation (hoping for toned arms, critiques of their body in the mirror, or aiming toward a 'better' figure).
But psychology research illustrates that these tactics don't actually work. They're self-sabotaging, which results in worse motivation in the long run.
A number of psychological studies suggest that appearance-focused or body-shaming motivation tactics are actually a large part of the problem. They found negative correlations between weight stigma and a motivation to exercise.
The takeaway: The more focus there is on bodies looking 'good' or 'bad' based on size or 'ideal' shape, the less enjoyable exercise becomes.
You might be wondering what is the girl on the bike rambling on about?! As someone who is certainly guilty of focusing on perceived flaws, I wasn't aware of the impact of appearance-based motivation. All that time spent at the gym and nothing to show for it?! No visible changes to my body? What was the point? In a world where we've become accustomed to a faster pace of life with instant gratification thanks to the internet and phones, the lack of results wasn't good enough (did I mention I can be impatient!)
Appearance-based motivation is externally driven, rather than internally driven - which can generate an all-or-nothing relationship with exercise that doesn't work.
It hadn't worked for me, hence my ambivalent attitude.
When we start exercising for pleasure and fun, exercise can become intrinsically motivating, meaning we are motivated from within. If its not enjoyable, it's going to be really hard to stay motivated!
I mentioned being an ex member of the gym, I haven't been back there since. After my diagnosis I gave up on the idea of ever being fit and had resigned myself to not achieving those toned arms or better figure. In honesty, I was a bit depressed and felt sad that my appearance was changing. Progression has led to my spine curving in at the base which forces my cake tum to stick out! My knees are turning inwards like they're desperate for face-to-face conversation and my feet turn a purple zombie-ish colour! nice eh!
Now that my exercise is restricted by my current ability, it mainly consists of occasional kayaking and regular rides on my bike. You know what... I've never felt better about myself!
I'm so happy to be able to explore by bike and kayak that I don't think of it as exercise at all. The focus for me is now very much about the ability in disability. Do I miss fully functioning legs? of course! I'm very aware of how useful they were! Can I still be an active, adventure mum? You bet I can!!! Is accessibility a barrier? Sometimes that's a yes, sometimes it's just not something I'd want to do regardless of my legs (rock climbing would still be a solid pass!)
When you take the focus away from that 'ideal' body and the pressures that come with it, you can start to enjoy exercise. You'll be rewarded with the great mental health benefits:
- less tension, stress and mental fatigue
- natural energy boost
- a sense of achievement
- more focus and motivation
- feeling less angry or frustrated
- boosting your self-esteem
- helping you concentrate as well as sleep well and feel better
The physical benefits will naturally follow and you might even find it fun!
Personally, I've gained a lot more confidence, which, when I'm signing myself up for long rides that I'm not certain I'll survive, is not necessarily a good thing! It's about finding the right exercise for you. I didn't like cycling before because it wasn't the most comfortable exercise, safe to say the ability to put my feet up and sit in a comfy seat is a definite perk to the XCR.
Something to consider:
I have had anxiety and experienced panic attacks.
The way you feel when you get active – breathless, hot, sweaty, a fast heart rate – can feel similar to the symptoms of anxiety or panic attacks. This can be distressing and may then cause a panic attack or increased anxiety.
If this happens to you, try a lower impact activity such as yoga or pilates. When this feels ok, build up the intensity slowly and notice the difference between the effects of physical activity and a panic attack. (Knowing that I have the electric assist on the handbike reassures me that I can relax and let the battery help if I want). Exercising with someone else may help you feel reassured that help is available if you feel anxious.
Any amount of physical activity is better than none. Finding an activity you like and are able to do regularly is more important than pushing yourself to do something you don’t enjoy. Remember, balance is good, so don't forget to mix it up with occasional cake!
Bike hire: The golden ticket
Getting tooled up: a trip to the workshop
Optimism is essential!