Whatever you’re addicted to (that thing you can’t stop doing that wastes your time and F-s your life up in lots of little ways and/ or a few big ways), whatever it may be: drugs, video games, booze, your phone, work, food, porn, shitty relationships, buying useless shit online, whatever it is... substitute that shit with exercise.
It’s like going to an AA meeting. But an AA meeting that also makes you hot.
Rick James once said, “cocaine’s a hell of a drug,” and he’s not lying. But all the things that coke makes you feel: confident, less stressed, physically amazing, only last for a few hours and, end when you stop doing coke. Exercise gives you all those things but the confidence is well-earned and genuine. And unlike cocaine, exercise is good for your heart. Exercise increases energy like smoking meth but you don’t have to sacrifice the luxury of sporting a full set of teeth.
Closing down the bar, getting shit-faced every Friday, Saturday, sometimes on Thursday and Sundays during football season, will help you forget about your problems for a bit, but the next day; your stomach’s a mess, you’ve got cotton mouth and where are my panties?
The hangover from exercise is feeling less stressed and sleeping better. And you never have to apologize for the horrible things you said while you were doing kettlebell swings.
Food and sex; the most fleeting of pleasures, a pint of ice cream, an orgasm. Our survival as a species rely on the human need to satiate these desires. These are tough ones to overcome. We need to eat, having sex is a beautiful, essential expression of our humanity. But you can’t engage in either pursuit all day, everyday. Unchecked these pleasurable acts can diminish sense of self worth.
Exercise is an act of self-care, an expression of love, your way of letting your body know you appreciate it. It builds self-esteem.
Whatever compulsive behavior plagues you… Exercise can help. For whatever amount of time you’re working out, at the very least, you won’t be indulging in your disruptive or destructive vice.
I love working out. It keeps me out of trouble, off anti-depressants and off the crack pipe.
Try it. All the cool kids are doing it.
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