Reinterpreting Body Signals: From Disliking Sweating to Enjoying Exercise

The consequences of not using one's own body

When you talk to athletes, runners, or cycling enthusiasts, you're likely to hear the positive phrase, "You have to work up a sweat." For example, 28-year-old graduate student Jill dislikes cycling in her neighborhood because the terrain is flat, there are frequent stop signs, and it's impossible to speed up. She prefers cycling on the nearby hilly terrain with its ups and downs, and she feels genuinely happy when her clothes are soaked with sweat. Conversely, some people who are reluctant to engage their bodies often view sweating as an unpleasant experience, saying things like, "I hate sweating" or "I get everything sweaty."

This diametrically opposed attitude is also seen in other effects of exercise. Ron, a 55-year-old professor, describes the muscle sensations after gym workouts as burning or tight. He enjoys these sensations because he sees them as evidence of strength. His friend Stan, also a professor around 55, participated in the same exercise but quit after a month. Part of his reason for giving up was his unfamiliarity with the sensations of muscle exertion, which he perceived as painful. He believed that weightlifting had injured his muscles.

When someone who enjoys using their body starts to pant, they know they need to slow down or stop. But someone who doesn't like using their body, struggling to breathe, becomes fearful, perhaps afraid of suffocating. When you enjoy using your body, you see a moderate increase in your heart rate as evidence that your heart is getting stronger. When you don't like using your body, the same feeling can frighten you, making you feel like you're having a heart attack.

To truly enjoy exercise, you need to re-understand your body and the sensations it produces when used. Don't interpret these sensations negatively or unrealistically; instead, learn to recognize them, think about them logically, and find pleasure in the physical sensations you experience. If you do, it's no exaggeration to say you are gaining intelligence from your body.

Let's talk about sweat first. If you're a woman, you probably know that ladies of leisure don't sweat, not even a little bit, from hard work. Even if you weren't raised with much etiquette about ladylike behavior, or much that's inappropriate for a lady's status, you probably still know that sweating is closely associated with anxiety (for example, before an important meeting) or the heat and stickiness of a sweltering summer day. Most women, regardless of weight, can recall the discomfort of sweat stains on their shirts.

However, sweating due to anxiety or hot flashes is a completely different experience from sweating during exercise. When you've planned to attend an aerobics class, bike ride, or brisk walk, dress appropriately. Since you'll be wearing a T-shirt or t-shirt, you don't need to worry about getting your nice shirt dirty or incurring exorbitant dry cleaning costs to remove sweat stains. You'll usually shower after exercising, so you don't need to worry about sweat making you look dirty. If sweat dripping from your forehead makes you uncomfortable, you can wear a sweatband.

Sweating has no adverse effects on the body. The reason you feel uncomfortable is because of your interpretation of sweating. But you can change your mindset and recognize that sweating is beneficial. When sweat evaporates from your skin, it cools the skin and helps maintain an ideal body temperature. Sweat is mostly water, but also includes salt and small amounts of other chemicals. The odor associated with sweat is produced by bacteria and yeast on the skin, not by the sweat itself. So if you really can't stand the smell, wash your skin before exercising. When you work up a sweat, remind yourself that sweating is solid evidence that your heart is strengthening, your metabolism is increasing, and various health risk factors are decreasing. You can be proud of sweating; perhaps you're already truly enjoying the benefits it brings.

Overcome inertia

Once you learn to love your body, you'll find it easier to enjoy using it. Despite its imperfections, you'll derive more satisfaction from physical challenges, even something as simple as walking around a block. You can create a consistent exercise schedule so you don't have to agonize over when and where to exercise, or feel like walking is a waste of time. You can revise your self-concept so you don't see yourself as lazy or inactive, but rather as active and fit, even if you haven't reached your weight goal yet. To achieve this, you must overcome the inertia that holds you back. The next chapter will discuss how to do that.

The joy of sweating

As discussed in Chapter Nine, Heather, Gwen, Ron, and Oprah were able to overcome their early unpleasant experiences with exercise, shed their inertia, and become active. You can do the same by choosing a sensible form of exercise, but I advise against attempting marathons or purchasing expensive memberships at your local gym. If you don't choose a sensible approach, you might find yourself in a dilemma. Even though you know you need exercise to lose weight and maintain it, know that exercise is indeed good for your health, know that many of your reasons for not exercising are merely a legal justification for your unreasonable behavior, and know that the problems caused by inactivity are causing you considerable mental distress, you still don't want to get moving!

Before you succumb to a lazy mindset, you must wisely recognize that change is a gradual process that unfolds over time. Sudden resolutions and abrupt realizations are unlikely to form lasting habits. Recall that Chapter Six stated change is a gradual process, and you will progress through the following expected stages: pre-contemplation, contemplation, preparation, action, maintenance, and prevention of regression. By identifying your current stage and moving step by step to the next, you can increase your activity.