By Thandiwe Mawungwa
A few years ago my friends introduced me to Zumba and for a few months I enjoyed it. Then something began to happen. I started to dread the workouts until eventually I began to hate Zumba altogether. What had happened was that my enjoyment of it was diminishing over time until it became a chore . So, needless to say, I stopped doing it. That’s not to say Zumba is a bad exercise – by no means. Zumba is an excellent exercise which works your whole body and incorporates dance and some really fun music. But I just didn’t like it and this brings me to the next point – why you should stop running.
You should stop running for the very same reason why I stopped doing Zumba. If you notice that running has started to become a chore which you dread every time you have to do it then stop doing it. Running is not the best exercise – the best exercise is the one that you enjoy, the one that you will stick to long-term, it could be walking, or dancing or tennis or whatever exercise makes you feel happy.
Now I am not saying that the moment any exercise gets hard you must quit. Definitely not! Running is ridiculously difficult but I enjoy it. It is an exercise which offers me increasing marginal returns of joy. The further and/or faster I run, the happier I get. I can run for years and years and never get tired of it – even though it is difficult.
So my point is, find something you love to do and stick to it. Just because someone enjoys a type of exercise doesn’t mean you should too. Studies have shown that any type of exercise has great benefits for your health, your brain etc.
Give running a try and if you don’t like it, try Zumba and if you don’t like it, try something else until you find something that works – for you!
If you happen to choose running then always remember to smile and wave at other runners!
Ngatirambe TichingoMhanya!