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Exercise motivation is more than T-shirt
(by Christine Thome - October 09, 2008)
BEYOND MY CONTROL, BY CHRISTINE THOME
Exercise motivation is more than T-shirt
It has been my experience that most boys need very little encouragement to try a new sport. For years, we reign in their testosterone and tell them they can't kick, they can't throw things, don't push other people, don't run and be quiet. But sports give boys an outlet to kick a soccer ball, throw a baseball, push a lineman, run in a race and shout as loud as they can.
Girls, on the other hand, are a different story. They usually need to be bribed.
"Want to play soccer?" I asked my oldest daughter when she was entering kindergarten.
"Naw, I don't think so," she said, staring at another episode of "Barney" on the television.
"Come on, it will be fun! A lot of your friends are going to try it," I encouraged.
"No, I don't think so," she mumbled.
"If you play, you get a really cool, new T-shirt," I teased.
"I do?" she said, looking up from the television.
"And a yummy snack and drink at the end of each game!" I said. Now, I had her attention.
"Well, maybe I'll try it," she said. "But what if I don't play well or my team doesn't win?"
"It's not about winning, honey, it's about having fun. Anyway, everybody gets a shiny trophy at the end of the season, whether you win or not," I answered.
Like honey to a fly, I had her. With a promise of new clothing, food and a little bling, I could get her to try anything.
So why should I be any different?
When the kids went back to school this fall, I decided to sign up for some exercise classes at a local community center. However, because I really, really hate to exercise, I needed some motivation to get my fat fanny up and out the door in the mornings. And wouldn't you know it, my motivation was just a short drive away at the local shopping mall.
I have to tell you, workout clothing has improved tremendously since the last time I took exercise seriously, which was probably in the mid-1980s. Long gone are the tight Jane Fonda leotards, tights and leg warmers. Now, there are comfortable pants, tops, shoes and jackets in every color imaginable. They are so fashionable that you can actually wear some of this stuff to places other than the gym. Like to the ice-cream parlor or sandwich shop immediately following that tough aerobics class.
After a few hours at the mall, I was able to acquire enough workout clothing, shoes and accessories to motivate even a two-toed sloth to exercise.
"What's in all these shopping bags?" my husband, John, asked when he came home from work that night.
"Oh, those are my new workout clothes," I said, grabbing the bags and shoving them in the closet before he could see a receipt.
"Why do you need new clothes to work out? I just wear an old T-shirt and shorts," he stated.
"Those clothes are my motivation to get up and go to my classes in the morning," I replied.
"New clothes give you motivation?" he asked quizzically.
"Never mind," I said. "I wouldn't expect a guy who works out in a sweat-stained T-shirt that says, 'Beer, it's not just for breakfast anymore,' to understand."
So like my daughter who needed to be bribed to do a new sport, I now have new shoes, new clothing and a shirt that even has a little rhinestone bling on it. But I still have one big question.
Where is my yummy snack and drink after every exercise class?
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