Find Your Sweaty Bliss
The power that a good sweat has is incredible. It can clear your mind, it can spark some imagination, it makes you feel strong and confident, it can boost your energy and your mood and hey you may even find that after a long day you sweat session may bring you a little bit of bliss.
With all that being said, I think that it's important that you enjoy your sweat sesh. Don't get me wrong, you may not love it. You may want to curse your way through it and your muscles may be feeling like they can't go any more (spoiler: they can usually push a little further.) Despite the struggle you can still enjoy your work out. You have to find an activity that you enjoy enough and that you have fun doing so that you can have a love for that struggle.
In my opinion, if you don't find that love for the struggle in whatever it is you are doing then you won't reap the benefits I mentioned above. A couple things that I found are super important to me when finding a workout I love are:
Music
I grew up a dancer and still work in the dance world. So activity without music feels weird to me. Pedaling to the beat, awesome. Putting a couple miles in on the treadmill while jamming to Beyonce, great. Even just the slow, clam music in a yoga class feels right to me.
A group!
I love feeding off of other peoples energy, it always makes me try harder and perform better (okay, I'm sure that is my ultra competitive side coming out). Even when I am rocking out an at home program, I have a group of ladies online doing it along with me and we share what we loved, what killed us, and what parts made us feel like we would never walk again.
Usually when these two things are involved it means I have a much higher chance of enjoying my workout and therefore sticking to it, wanting to show up, and actually loving my workout.
As with just about anything in life, I find that I go through phases in regards to the workouts that I enjoy and the workouts in which I feel I love the struggle. Sometimes, I am obsessed with my at home workouts. I love to set up my computer, press play and let ShaunT kick my ass (he really is an ass kicker. There is no other way to put it) in the comfort of my own home. Sometimes, I pick up some weights or hop on the treadmill.
Recently, I have been really loving cycling classes. I like the group environment, the fast pace, and good music. Don't get me wrong, the classes are hard. I leave drenched in sweat. But it's fun. I love the struggle.
I encourage you to experiment. Try out that hot yoga class you have been curious about. Give cycling a try. Commit to a 6 week at home fitness program. Run, swim, or surf as a way of getting active out in nature.
You are bound to stumble across something that makes you love the struggle.
Makes you feel strong and confident.
Makes you find that happy, sweaty bliss.