5 bizarre reasons why you are going to exercise
Sports. I belong to the rare breed that doesn't hate it. Why do you play sports as a child for fun and as an adult only to literally keep things together? Maybe because drinking wine and eating cheese is much more enjoyable. I have periods where I'm completely in the sports groove and know periods of total denial. For the past year and a half, there has been a gym (The Gym Republic, go there, it's great) located behind our office, and then I had no excuse anymore. If the schedule allows it, I push myself through the funnel from 12:15 to 1:00 PM. And once a week, I see Richard, one of the founders of the gym, in one of the Amsterdam parks for a personal-training session. There are a thousand physical reasons to mention why I enjoy sports (hello, abs, there you are), but also many that have nothing to do with being fit and slim. So for everyone who is still hesitating to go do some gymnastics: after this piece, you will want to.
1. In the now
Your phone is off, no one asking you anything or wanting to discuss something with you. Everything can and must wait 45 minutes. You'll see: the world keeps turning. Yes, really. And your mind is nice and empty for a moment.
2. The people
I sometimes joke that I work while exercising, but a little bit of that is true. I work out with a few top models (confronting, I know) and knowing what's going on with them is also work by chance. Or I meet someone I can help. Moreover, it's nice to meet people you might not encounter otherwise. A teacher from Bijlmer, a flight attendant from Amsterdam-West, an incredibly nice advertising strategist who went to do volunteer work in South America.
3. The clothes
When you exercise, you can treat yourself to athleisure gear. That's why I have stacks of beautiful shorts from Deblon Sports (really the most beautiful sportswear) and nice warm tops from Filippa K.
4. Walking around in your outfit
I wouldn't do it quickly at the office, but if I have a session with Richard on Wednesday, I put on my Deblon outfit in the morning. And because the outfits are so nice, I keep them on all day. Yes, I do shower, but how wonderful is it to walk around in your sports outfit all day?
5. The reward
The protein shake after exercising, that huge salad, that warm bath, that hot shower; everything feels so incredibly more delightful and more deserved after a sweating session.
Will I see you at the gym? Or in the park? Then we'll have the best coffee afterwards.
