Health and Fitness
The Surprising Solution to When Workouts No Longer Bring Joy or Melt Belly Fat
This is what Brian did when his workouts stopped working to rediscover joy, gain a better physique, and have an uplifting mood.
Regular exercise is a powerhouse of benefits for physical and mental health. Many benefits of regular exercise are irrefutable and well-documented.
However, in this story, I want to highlight two key aspects that make exercise remarkable: joy and fat burning.
I explain these two concepts with a relevant and exciting case study, introducing a mature age friend who transformed his dented fitness.
The feeling of accomplishment after an intense and joyful workout, the rush of endorphins, especially adrenalin, and the satisfaction of setting and achieving fitness goals with boosted dopamine and serotonin are potent sources of happiness and abundant energy.
Some people think of exercise primarily as a way to build muscle. It is true. But it is also effective in shedding unwanted body fat. Regular exercise can increase metabolism, burn calories, help us achieve a leaner, more defined, and more toned physique, and, as a bonus, gives us mental clarity.
For me, exercise isn’t just a means to an end. It’s a mental experience that brings me joy and life satisfaction. From the physiological angle, exercise is a valuable tool to keep the body insulin sensitive and fat-adapted, allowing the visceral fat to be used as an energy source through ketosis.
Meet Brian, who had ups and downs with exercise.
Brian, 62 years, is a colleague who used to be addicted to gyms and running. But he lost his motivation to exercise and gained significant visceral fat. He also lost his gorgeous look, according to his wife.
He wondered why it happened to him and how he could return to a sustainable exercise regimen again and reap the benefits he used to do.
He still believed in the importance of regular movement, but he had no drive to exercise. He lacked energy and called himself lazy, missing his golden days. His wife was also not happy about his gloomy mood.
His wife jokingly said Brian was a gym rat in his 30s. He loved intense workouts until his mid-forties, and his wife enjoyed washing his sweaty clothes, giving her a boost of oxytocin.
On those days, his daily routine consisted of waking up early, running a few miles with his two hyperactive German Sheppard dogs, hitting the gym, going to work full of energy, making his clients happy, having a great time with his family after work, and keep doing the same great process.
After his two dogs died, he lost his motivation to go out and exercise in the gym. He started smoking, taking alcohol in the pubs, and consuming too much coffee at work. After stopping exercising and gaining these unhealthy habits like Tina, he felt tired and started gaining weight.
When he stopped smoking and drinking alcohol, he tried the gym for a few years, but his body was not responding to the workouts as it used to. He couldn’t lose weight and felt awful. First, he blamed his aging body. But his friends of the same age were in better shape.
He had been following the same routine. He believed his routine was monotonous and did not give him joy anymore. He felt he needed to do something different to reignite his passion for fitness. But he did not know what to do.
One day, during a lunch break at work, I asked him whether he would like to walk with me around the river for half an hour to get fresh hair.
He said he had no energy and wanted to drink a cup of sugary coffee to energize himself and discuss it in the cafe. After that, he had an important client meeting.
I understood his request and had compassion for his situation, as I knew how lethargy and low energy felt in my younger years. I accepted his coffee offer even though I didn’t drink coffee but had a glass of cold water.
As a colleague and close friend, he asked my opinion on why he lost his motivation and how to regain it.
My first response was to listen to his body and customize his workout regimen. I shared my fitness approach with him, giving him a perspective and making him plan and customize his workouts.
Here’s a summary of the key points that we discussed. I structured them under three headings to make them easy to read and memorable.
Point 1 — We must listen to our bodies.
Listening to our bodies during and after exercise is essential to work out safely and effectively. Our body is intelligent at communicating when something is wrong.
By listening to the body's messages, we can identify when we’re pushing ourselves too hard or using an incorrect form that may lead to injury. Pain is the best indicator if something is wrong in the body.
For example, if we feel pain in our knees during a squat, it may indicate that our form needs to be adjusted. We must reduce the weight or take a break until the pain disappears.
Each of us has a unique body. What works for one person might work for another. Listening to our bodies allows us to customize our workouts to meet our needs and fitness goals.
For example, if we have a weak lower or upper back, we may need to try specific exercises to strengthen these areas gradually and with care.
When we listen to our body, we can ensure to push ourselves enough to see results without overdoing it. Overexertion can lead to burnout, fatigue, and reduced performance.
We can work out at the right intensity by tuning in to our body’s signals to see optimal results. So how can we respond to our body’s signals during exercise?
If we’re tired or fatigued, we can reduce the intensity of our workout to avoid overexertion. For example, if we’re running, we can slow down our pace or take a walking break to give our bodies a rest.
If a particular exercise is causing pain or discomfort, we can modify the approach or switch to a different exercise that works with the same muscle group.
For example, if we have a shoulder injury that makes overhead presses painful, we can switch to lateral or front raises.
The body needs rest to recover from intense workouts. If we’re feeling sore or fatigued, we can take a break from working out or focus on low-intensity exercises such as walking, yoga, or swimming.
Listening to our body during exercise is crucial for physical and mental health. By tuning in to our body’s signals, we can customize our workouts to meet our needs, avoid injury, and optimize results.
Point 2 — We need customized workouts for optimal fitness.
Physical activity is crucial for survival and well-being. But we have different body types, fitness levels, and goals. Therefore we must listen to our bodies and minds to customize our workouts.
I briefly shared my customization approach with Brian.
While following the exercise routines of my favorite athletes and bodybuilders for a few years, I realized that their workouts did not work for me. I needed something that resonated with my body.
I designed my joyful workouts to suit my needs. My fitness goals are to experience pure joy and shape my body to the desired state. My workouts help me maintain my strength, flexibility, and endurance. These values became more critical as I got older.
I perform various workout regimes daily, such as weight training, resistance workouts, calisthenics, and high-intensity interval training (HIIT). My cardio is a daily barefoot walk on the beach, grassy parks, or meadows around 10K steps.
Instead of excessive cardio running on treadmills or ecliptic machines, I use five minutes of HIIT, which is more joyful and healthier. My old regimen increased my cortisol levels, preventing me from utilizing my belly fat for energy and making me miserable.
I passionately work out every day. But my approach to exercise is gentle. Instead of lifting very heavy weights, I prefer using my natural body weight through various calisthenics and isometric exercises like planks, which work out my muscles and activate mTOR for muscle retention.
My customized exercise regimen maintains my low-body fat percentage, lean muscles, and dense bones. I don’t like bulky muscles and don’t want to shred my body or be a bodybuilder like my friends Adrian or Heather.
For example, using a pull-up machine is a joyful workout, suitable for strength, resistance, and flexibility. It helps me build my back muscles and biceps. I can do 20 consecutive pull-ups daily. Purchasing an affordable pull-up machine was an excellent investment.
Another example is an indoor trampoline. It was a good investment for my fitness goals, significantly impacting my fitness and overall health. It is ideal on rainy days when I can’t go out.
When I cannot do my barefoot walk, usually on windy and rainy days, my indoor trampoline is a handy tool to complete my ten thousand steps walking goal daily.
Trampolining reduces my stress and gives me joy. It increases the lymphatic system and blood flow, allowing my cells to detoxify. It gives flexibility and agility by improving my balance.
In addition, I bought an affordable vibration machine that gives me a lot of joy. This unique machine works out all my muscle groups gently.
The vibration machine was initially designed to maintain muscle mass in space for astronauts. Then as technology became affordable, it became publicly available as a helpful tool.
Point 3 — Make the joyful exercise a tool to burn fat.
Beyond the euphoria, exercise ignites a metabolic fire within us that mobilizes fat molecules, burns immediate calories, and empties glycogen stores, providing the body with the energy it needs.
Daily exercise makes the body insulin-sensitive by activating muscle cells to accept glucose and responds to insulin signals.
An insulin-sensitive body is ideal for fat loss for those who need it. Regular exercise for fat-adapted people can reduce body fat percentage, maintain lean muscles, and brighten the mood.
While I no longer exercise or diet for fat loss, as I don’t have much fat to lose, the additional benefits that regular exercise brings are invaluable to ignore. For me, cognitive benefits are profound.
For example, joyful workouts boost BDNF, a protein that promotes neural growth and cognitive function, and keeps my brain in a growth mood for neurogenesis.
Summary of Brian’s Transformation
After he understood these critical points, Brian tried different types of workouts. He loved calisthenics, yoga, and Pilates improving his posture.
He also tried swimming in the mornings and cycling at weekends. At first, he found these new exercises challenging as he found himself out of his comfort zone.
Later he joined a health center with a pool and enjoyed swimming very much. The cool water was refreshing, giving him a full-body workout without the strain on his joints that he used to feel when running.
He then had 20 minutes of dry sauna or hot spa, warming his body and lowering physical and mental stress.
He enjoyed a relaxed body and calm mind after the sauna. His lowered stress enabled him to perform better at work. His colleagues, clients, and family noticed the difference in his mood.
Brian had a newfound joy for exercise by listening to his body and customizing his workouts. He was excited to try other workouts as he felt his body responded positively to new exercise regimens motivating him.
But his new fitness journey was challenging. He faced a few setbacks. For example, he had an injury induced by a minor cycling accident caused by a careless driver hitting him on the bike track. Fortunately, he fell on the grassy land protecting him.
He also hurt his back once while diving in the ocean. However, he did not let these setbacks discourage him. He learned his lessons to be more careful and worked with a physiotherapist and an osteopath to recover quickly and modify his workouts to heal his injuries.
By listening to his body and customizing his workouts, Brian discovered a new passion for fitness. He felt stronger, healthier, and happier again.
He made the right decision to exercise a joyful and personalized experience keeping his fat percentage at a desired level, maintaining lean muscles, and having a sharp mind and an uplifting mood.
Customizing his workouts and making exercise fun rather than a chore gave him a better physique and a clear mind, improving his work performance and family relationships.
Like Brian, many other friends learned to listen to their bodies and designed joyful workouts that work for them. Customized and enjoyable workouts are vital to achieving optimal fitness and well-being for anyone.
Takeaways
I asked Brian what he would suggest to those in a similar situation. He provided some valuable tips. I summarize and share them here as takeaway points of this story.
Finding the motivation to keep going can be challenging if you’re feeling uninspired and unmotivated by your current workout routine and struggling with losing fat.
Please consider these practical and proven tips.
1 — Try something new if your workout routine isn’t giving you joy. Experiment with different activities until you find ones that you enjoy.
2 — Working out with friends can be a great way to stay motivated and make exercising fun. You can encourage each other.
3 — Instead of doing the same workout daily, try new exercises.
4 — When you start a new workout regimen, set small and achievable goals to help you stay motivated. Remember to celebrate each milestone.
5 — Go for a walk with loved ones, a dog, or friends, to enjoy the fresh air.
6 — Track your progressing using a smartwatch to help you stay motivated.
7 — If you usually work out at home or a gym, try going to a fitness center, a swimming pool, and recreational centers with saunas and spas.
8 — Treat yourself occasionally to something you enjoy after a good workout, such as a relaxing massage.
9 — Don’t give up if you don’t see immediate progress. Change your routines.
10 — Talk to friends about your problems, find a mentor, and be patient. Always stay optimistic, which can produce better results.
Thank you for reading my perspectives. I wish you a healthy and happy life.
Sample Stories Regarding Fitness Achievements
Here’s How Amanda Lost Fat and Improved Her Health with Love of Dogs.
Audrey Eliminated Back Pain and Remade Her Appearance by Dedicating Herself to 6-Minute Planks Daily
Here’s How a Mature-Age Couple Reversed Diabetes and Trimmed Their Bodies with Lifestyle Habits.
Isabella Lost Fat and Transformed Her Fitness with Just 30-Minute Simple Workouts.
Here’s How Norma Lost 20 Pounds with a Single Resource at Home.
Thank you for reading my perspectives. I wish you a healthy and happy life.
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