Kilty Posted August 8, 2011 Posted August 8, 2011 Ok - nearly all break up advice sites and books - and also on here - advocates exercise as a great way to help forget about your ex and make you feel better. Dont worry - i know that your exact response will be - PFFFFFT Reason i know this is no matter how many times i seen the words "exercise to feel better" there was no way i could get motivated. Quite frankly i thought it was better to wallow in my own regret and misery. Eventually i couldnt stand feeling that way any longer so i thought to myself what is the easiest way to exercise - and here's what i came up with. 1 - Running - Aye that will be right. I hadnt exercised for a long while and the thought of pounding the streets seemed too much like hard work and also boring. 2 - Walking - Thats sounds ok. So spent 3 months walking 5 miles most nights and lost a bit of weight slowly. The drawback is that it was also really boring and you are not doing enough exercise to take your mind off "her" - so got fed up with that. 3 - Gym - Hmm na dont fancy getting a membership for something i could also get fed up with easily plus there is getting yourself motivated to go factor and involves driving there and back - something that 1 and 2 didnt. Plus i had also been a gym freak in my early 20s and built myself up only to go partying and drinking which meant once the gym trips slowed i started to balloon - so no 4 - Swimming - That could be good. I was a swimmer in my youth. But again you have the motivational factor of having to get there, change, swim, shower and drive home. Nevertheless got a pool membership - went swimming for 3 months but again getting myself motivated to go fell short compared to watching tv and wallowing But i have now found the answer CYCLING I bought myself a £300 hybrid bike 6 weeks ago and i havent been off it. Dont get me wrong - the first 4 weeks was hard as the last time i rode a bike exclusively was when i was 14. But eventually my leg muscles have improved dramatically and i have gone from 5 miles every night to now 10 - half of which is uphill. You just walk out your house, jump on your bike, pick a route and go. I stuck to the pavements till i got my energy levels up but thats the quick way to a puncture so i invested in a helmet and i am now on the roads every night and twice on Saturdays and Sundays. Not only do i feel excellent but being a big lad when i now look in the mirror before showering i can see the dramatic improvements cycling has made to my thighs and bum. My thought process is now much clearer and i actually think less and less about my ex everyday and much calmer about the whole situation. To put this into perspective in case you think im talking rubbish - she gets married on Thursday which is 18 months after our split which was my fault - i walked away believing she wasnt for me then realised i was wrong - too late. She had moved onto someone else and both of them work beside me so you can imagine how i have been. Tried to get her back - went through all the usual pleading, letters, reasoning and apologies - no good. And to be honest - i thought this week i would be manic - but you know what - im not And the reason for that is - exercise by cycling. It is by far the easiest way to get fit and it is also fun So why not give it a try and see how you feel
Nohbody Posted August 8, 2011 Posted August 8, 2011 I've been meaning to get a bike, great advice - thanks!
Author Kilty Posted August 8, 2011 Author Posted August 8, 2011 And when you take into account that 5 miles will be cycled by you in 30 minutes and 10 miles will be done in an hour think of all the exercise with not much time out your life
NursingGirl Posted August 9, 2011 Posted August 9, 2011 Perfect way to get your mind back to a healthy way after a breakup and get your body in better shape, too. Way to go!
Layzie89 Posted August 9, 2011 Posted August 9, 2011 I bought a mountain bike about a month after my breakup to try something new and hopefully get my mind off the breakup. It definitely helps. You feel great exercising, and it sure as hell beats jogging/walking. Once you become master of the pavement, challenge yourself a bit more and take it off roading on trails, canyons and such. I take my bike out every other weekend or so to the desert and just bike around the rocks and stuff much like in the movie '127 Hours' (knock on wood that I don't get caught between boulders like he did). So much fun, great exercise, you feel great, you look great, minds off the breakup, when you're done and back home you're too tired to bother even thinking about the breakup anymore. Great advice, great post.
Recommended Posts