Exercise: Cheaper Than Therapy (And Cocaine)

People piss us off.  We feel stuck and unsatisfied.  We have so much to do that we end up doing nothing at all, which leads to excuses that perpetuate the cycle.  This week, my excuse was writer’s block.  Between work and unnecessary distractions, it seemed like I was unable to come up with any new ideas (at least any that would be worth your time to read).  So I did what I’ve always done when I’m confused, excited, or angry: I put myself through a grueling workout.  It wasn’t until I was halfway through my routine at the gym that realized I needed to write about the benefits of strenuous exercise.

The key word here is strenuous – not flitting around from machine to machine or doing a few minutes on the elliptical.  Instead, take the long way on your run.  Do an extra set of squats.  By pushing your physical limits, frivolous distractions and problems that weigh you down trickle away. 

You got in a fight with your boyfriend today?  Run another mile.  Your coworker made fun of you?  Do another rep.  You can’t come up with an idea for your next project?  Swim another lap.  When you finish, you’ll be amazed how physically, mentally, and emotionally refreshed you are.  Exercise is the figurative reset button on our day-to-day lives.

You’ve probably heard of runner’s high; it’s a real thing.  The good news is that it’s not limited to running.  When exercising intensely, the body releases endorphins, the same chemicals that produce euphoria similar to the effects of opioids.  Although opioids are often abused with substances like cocaine, they are prescribed by doctors to inhibit pain and combat addiction.

So yes, instead of going to Alcoholics Anonymous or snorting coke, you can get the same effect by running hill repeats.  It’s cheaper, too.

Yes, I quit my collegiate athletic career, but I set a strict workout regimen for myself.  It may not be as demanding as Division I track, but I push myself as hard as my body will allow.  There is a perverse sense of pleasure derived out of pushing yourself to the point of exhaustion, knowing that you’re sharpening your body as well as your mind in the process.

Often the best ideas come when we are in the middle of a strenuous run or a lengthy swim.  All the thoughts that were once clumped together seem to sort themselves out.  This is because there’s nothing else to dilute them.  It’s you versus yourself, which can be frightening for some people until they realize it’s exactly what they need to take their productivity to the next level. 

As the best-selling author Ryan Holiday notes, “All exercise is cathartic.”  Instead of ignoring our obstacles and agitations, exercise forces us to confront them head-on, and ultimately leads to a sense of psychological relief through the expression of those emotions to ourselves.

On a lighter note, exercise gives us that daily dose of self-accomplishment that we desperately attempt to fill with Netflix, Facebook, and made-up chores.  By waking up each day with a physical goal that must be achieved, you are forced to hold yourself accountable.  Write it down, and once you meet your quota for the day, cross it off your list and do it again tomorrow. 

But the journey has no destination.  Unless you’re training for a competition, exercise is not a means to some vague end.  It doesn’t need to be justified once it becomes a habit.

People that exercise habitually don’t do it because they’re ultra-disciplined, they do it because it’s a regular part of their life like eating or sleeping; it feels good.  They crave lifting weights or going for a run because it frees them.  That’s why you never see a bodybuilder complain about going to the gym.  For lack of a better term, it becomes an addiction – a positive one though.

Oh, and when you think it gets too hard, consider the person who isn’t able-bodied and how badly they would want to trade their circumstances for the temporary pain you feel during a tough workout.

Strenuous exercise is my therapy.  The fleeting pain that it necessitates pales in comparison to the productivity and mental decompression that follows.  I love the struggle.  It’s what allowed me to write this, and it’s why I’m going to take on another workout right now.

Dominic Vaiana studies writing and media strategy at Xavier University.  He founded a campus newspaper and later went on to advise, ghostwrite, and edit for colleagues and startups.  His biweekly newsletter with his personal articles, essays, interviews, and book recommendations, can be found here. For any questions or comments, email dominicvaiana@gmail.com.