Exercise as Habit

So over the past few years, I’ve been hearing and reading more and more about habits: how they can be helpful or inhibiting, that it takes 21 days to form a habit, and that we can manipulate ourselves into swapping out our bad habits for good ones and change our lives in amazing ways.

A lot of it is just heavy theory, but here’s what I take from it:
“Habits” have multiple definitions. A lot of people think of it in a simpler sense, of bad habits and good. Smoking: bad. Putting a seatbelt on: good. But there’s a second meaning, which I find important. 

The second meaning implies that a habit is something you do so often that your brain doesn’t need to focus on the task at hand in order to complete it effectively, leaving you to think about other things. For example, driving. For an experienced, sober driver, most of the actions are second nature. You are not actively telling yourself to put the key in the ignition, or break in traffic, or put a blinker on, thus leaving a large part of your thinking power to do other things, like listen to a Podcast, or think about what you’re going to have for dinner. Another example is brushing your teeth. You don’t need to tell yourself: Okay, now I’m putting the toothpaste onto the toothbrush. Now I’m moving it back and forth in my mouth. You’ve done this so many times that you don’t have to think about it. Your brain can do other things, like think about what you might wear that day. 

So the goal for a lot of people, in the sense of this second definition, is to get to that point with exercise, particularly cardio and running. (I say cardio and running because a lot of other forms of exercise, like weight lifting and group classes, take a certain level of focus on the task at hand.) 

But when I get to this level of habit with running, when I don’t have to think much about it other than fitting it into my busy schedule, when I’m not chanting This sucks, this sucks, this sucks. How long until this is over? When I get to the point with running where my brain is free to ponder other things, I start having some really fucking profound thoughts. Profound, positive thoughts that I want to share with everyone. 

When this happens, I feel like I can tell exactly where these thoughts are coming from. Because unlike doing mundane, everyday tasks like brushing my teeth, intense cardio is also producing seratonen, so my free thoughts are hopeful and inspirational and enlightening. 

It’s incredible, and I want more.