They're called workouts, not funouts page 3

[Leida]

Sometimes, well-meaning individuals close to me suggest that I should 'do less' to have a less tight schedule/not feel so tired in the evening... well, what they actually mean is for me to cut down things I enjoy, like going for a swim with my folks, lifting, working in the garden, walking to the bus instead of talking the car, not cooking every meal we eat....

So I feel more up-beat while washing the dishes?! Phew.

Challenging yourself in the gym or playing hard is fun. Sure, it's good to sit back with a book or even watch a movie once in a while, but I already have to be locked in the office for 8 hrs 30 min a day, and I intend to do everything possible to have the as much of the rest of my time spent on fun things.

Deadlifts are hard. Failing when you thought you gonna get it this time, for sure is hard. But on the whole, giving this time to onself, the pure expression of self-love that the time in the gym is never gets old, never gets non-fun for me. The key was to stop worrying that I was so much worse than pretty much anyone else, that I suck athletically. Take the competition and coach's and parental abuse out of it, and lo and behold, it was fun. Unlike anything I experienced in my childhood. I am almost 40, and I still remember insults on the wind as i was running those 5 K race back when I was 11.

Now I don't let ANYONE to dare make me feel small when I do my thing.

[sbhikes]

Well we agree on something then. I'll be honest as a PE teacher by profession the rot starts to set in at school. There is too much emphasis on competition, and over analysis of performance in recent years especially. Schools should not be attempting to churn out future pro athletes or coaches. Instead PE should be the gateway to as many activity experiences as possible

I totally agree with this. If my childhood PE classes had focused on individualized activities instead of team sports I probably would have become physically active way earlier in life. Instead, I waited until my 30s. I think I was 35 when I realized I was an athlete, too.

By individualized activities, the kinds of things I would have come alive for include ocean kayaking, hiking, mountain climbing, running, bicycling. Stuff where the only person you need to compete with is yourself or where there is no need for competition at all.

As someone who does a lot of hiking, I have heard the fun concept described by long distance hikers as 1st order fun and 2nd order fun. First order fun is where you are doing something and you are having fun and you know you are having fun while you are doing it. Second order fun is where you are doing something and you aren't having fun at all--perhaps you are stressed way out of your comfort zone by treacherous mountain passes or dangerous swollen creeks--but then after you make it through, you say, man, that was FUN!

[Knifegill]

Why are they exclusive? What's not fun about 20 chin-ups and three sets of push-ups? What's not fun about sprinting? I fail to see a need to divide fun from work. Work is usually fun, anyway. So my work-outs will always be fun-outs and you get to deal with it. I see your strange little rules, and I eat them for breakfast.