It's the only thing that worked: I hated exercising – until I put a bike in front of my TV
The summer body or personal comfort, we've all said to ourselves one morning, at the beginning of a new year: "this time it's good, I'm going to start exercising and I'm really doing it." But when the day arrives, the weather isn't nice... You have a stomach ache or a headache... So, it will be tomorrow! But "tomorrow" means there's an evening with friends and you have to go home early, get ready... And then the days have passed and you still haven't done anything.
There may be a simple solution for you: cycling in front of the TV. This option is suitable for everyone, from those lacking motivation to those with health problems that make daily life difficult. This is the case of a 28-year-old man, recently interviewed by the British newspaper The Guardian. He revealed his method for exercising regularly without getting bored.
Rhys Thomas used to be quite athletic. At 18, he suffered a concussion playing rugby, which sidelined him from the sport for a while. For nearly ten years, he struggled to exercise regularly. "I tried many activities, from CrossFit to Zumba. While some were more enjoyable than others, I hadn't found a way to maintain a regular, disciplined routine without it becoming a chore," he explains.
Working from home, his risk of a sedentary lifestyle was high. Rhys even specifies that his journey from bed to the office is only 15 steps. This avid sports watcher on television was therefore forced to find a solution. He set himself one rule and one rule only now: "If I want to watch television, I have to do it sitting on my exercise bike (the only cardio exercise I can tolerate). Result? I've been cycling for about six hours a week for months (...)", explains the almost thirty-year-old, indicating that he does it for two hours three times a week, even allowing himself a beer sometimes during halftime... non-alcoholic of course.
"I usually burn about 500 calories in two hours," he told the British newspaper, assuring that keeping his mind occupied while exercising is the only thing that has worked. "It's helped me reach a level of fitness (...) but I also benefit from the mental benefits of the routine and the aches and pains I feel after pushing myself a little harder," Rhys also assures, admitting that his routine is sometimes more difficult than others, like when "the match is particularly boring or if the wifi becomes unstable." But his testimony still confirms a well-known fact: doing sport by combining it with something you enjoy is clearly the right formula. Watch a podcast, a series or even just listen to music and the time will pass more quickly.
L'Internaute
