I hated running and working out and didn’t understand the obsession with it, but I had nothing better to do during quarantine, so I started running on the treadmill in my garage.

There were programs for beginners and I started jogging about 1-2 miles every day. Over time, I noticed myself getting fitter, but what drove me was that I was getting faster and meeting goals. Eventually, the treadmill wasn’t enough so I joined the track team.

I became faster and fell in love with the 1-2 hours every day, sweating out the problems and anxieties of the day. Eventually, I got a small injury which meant I had to take a break from running and it drove me crazy.

Exercising on a daily basis is a difficult habit to get into, but can also be extremely difficult to stop. Working out is a habit that affects everything in the body physically, but also mentally.

According to the Mayo Clinic “physical activity stimulates various brain chemicals that may leave you feeling happier, more relaxed and less anxious. You may also feel better about your appearance and yourself when you exercise regularly, which can boost your confidence and improve your self-esteem.”

Senior Robert Cummings, a long-distance runner on varsity track, feels that “when I go without working out for a while I feel like my self-esteem tends to drop as working out gives me more confidence in myself and overall happiness/structure in my life.”

This leads to a craving for daily exercise, almost like a daily fix. But, like most things, being addicted to working out can be bad, especially if it is for the wrong reasons. There will be days, weeks, even months we won’t be able to work out for various reasons and we have to be ok with that.

My values for working out were something that I had to change; teach myself that I was doing this for myself and no one else, that it is an opportunity to get stronger, faster, and better.

Goals and checkpoints are the driving force of working out daily. It is always working towards and training for the new goal.

“My best goal I think I’ve achieved personally is getting 2:00 in the 800m [½ mile]” said Cummings. 

His next goal is breaking that time and getting a medal for his senior year of track.

Getting caught up in the routine of training, hitting a goal, training, and hitting another goal can cause a feeling of addiction. Such as needing to train. Loving a few hours in the gym isn’t a bad thing as long as you’re able to love the break days as well.