The Thinking Yogi
by Kerry Maiorca

January 2007 : No pain, no pain

As a new year begins once again, messages abound about how to get in shape and look great in preparation for summer. While the new year can be a wonderful time to renew a commitment to health, the motivation behind many of the New Year, New You messages can be discouraging. These messages commonly pit you against your body, as if it’s something to be conquered. But the “Battle of the Bulge” is a short-term perspective for what is a long-term goal; the pursuit of health is a marathon, not a sprint.

Living in a society whose unofficial motto is “No pain, no gain,” many of us feel driven to always do more and work harder, especially when it comes to keeping physically fit. This is all well and good when you’re young and healthy, but it can be difficult to remember that you only get one chance with your body. To commit to long-term health, examine how you exercise to see if overall what you’re doing is benefiting your body or doing harm.

Several years ago, I began running because I’d long heard it touted as a great way to stay in shape. At first, I returned from each run feeling exhilarated. However, after a while I noticed that my knees often hurt during or after a run. Initially, I chalked it up to the fact that I was new to running and figured that I’d get used to it. But when it didn’t improve after several months, I decided I was too young to be dealing with knee pain and wanted to try something new.

I switched from running to walking and found that the aches began to subside. It was difficult to make the change, as I was worried that I wouldn’t be able to get a good workout if I moved away from my trusted routine. But in the end I figured that it wasn’t worth being “in shape” if it meant experiencing pain while walking up and down the stairs.

Once I committed to listening to my body to determine what sort of exercise I pursued, the decision to switch to walking was such fun! I soon realized that although I had been convincing myself that I enjoyed running, I had been dreading my daily runs for some time. On the other hand, I looked forward to walking and it still felt great both physically and mentally. My body got the gentle exercise that suited it, and I felt better about how I was treating my joints and imagined all of the aches and pains I was saving myself in later life.

Despite how it may seem when you’re young and healthy, your body is a finite resource that will only continue to serve you as long as you don’t deplete it. This idea coincides nicely with some of the central principles of yoga practice. Rather than trying to force yourself into the mold of some ideal or deciding to do something because other people say it will be good for you, pay attention to how your body feels in the moment and let this awareness guide you. If you continually come back to the present, you will more likely make choices that result in health and happiness, rather than choosing based on fear and insecurity.

As you reconsider your health goals for this year, be open to change. Examine how you use your body to determine whether what you’re doing is sustainable over the long-term or whether you’re waging a short-term war on your body in an attempt to muscle your way to fitness. Consider how your current exercise routine will serve you in 5, 10, or even 30 years, and commit to taking care of yourself for all the right reasons. This may be scary at first, but you may also find, as I did, that it feels great to be good to your body!