• TDS Moderators: AlphaMethylPhenyl | Eligiu | deficiT

Exercise 4 Health, Mental Health, and Addiction vs. The Endorphin Factory

went for a run today, have been running most days recently.

i love sweating and passing thru some of the anxious energy i carry, feel the blood circulating through my body.

next i'd like to start doing a bodyweight exercise routine a few times a week so i can build up some strength.
 
The energy feels great, together with all the endorphins.

I have tried bodyweight exercises but usually it lasts only 6 months or so.
Trying to get back to exercise regularly, now it's like 2 to three times max.
 
Dragged myself early to pool in hopes it would be warmer (it wasn't), finished my sets and then a nice Chatty Cathy jumps in. I tread freezing water (his kids wouldn't get in because it was too cold!) for >30 minutes post-workout. Endurance: check!
 
That's great Cduggles! My hats off to you. I hate swimming in cold water, not even it's warmer outside.

I'm going to the gym tomorrow morning. Have scheduled, so I must go. I have 45-50 minutes only to myself.
That's the best time to swim.
 
^^ Yes you must! Particularly if you are indoors in a heated pool.
Some people find swimming boring but it's "me" time. Enjoy :)
 
The usual: I swam, it was cold.
Unusual: the sky was completely blue except for a thin crescent moon that completely made the backstroke worth it.
 
I'm glad to see how you are coping, it makes some of us hopeful.

Try to find something you enjoy doing, such as a hobby- books, music, movies, etc, etc. Things that could make you feel good, like swimming, for example. Having fun for me was a bit difficult but it gradually made me realize how important that is.
 
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Walked thirty plus in the last two days total. Have been stretching heavy and have me leg issue down to one stubborn muscle.. but victory is in sight. =D
 
Just had my membership renewed at the gym again. Six more months of swimming, more intensive but limited to 3 days a week. I have been walking a lot but my back is a bit painful, I'm planning to get a new bike for the weekends.
 
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My gym finally changed the pool guy and the pool & spa are not chemical vats anymore. I've been digging the machines as they seem easier on my back as well vs free weights. Although free weights for bench press seem irreplaceable by machines as stabilizing them uses several different muscles besides just pecs. A spotter nearby never hurts either.
 
Got some good time in with my heavy bag this weekend and rattled the rafters a bit. Might need to tape one of my wrists till I get more consistent with hitting. My back seems to prefer the machines at the gym but at least it's not a democracy on the music selection when I'm in my garage. I can only stand the utz utz utz utz electronic music for so long at the gym.
 
Started to work from a week holiday and got caught up in a very stressing environment. Scheduled my swimming but took a nap and realized I had missed it.
Trying again tomorrow...
 
Got some good time in with my heavy bag this weekend and rattled the rafters a bit. Might need to tape one of my wrists till I get more consistent with hitting. My back seems to prefer the machines at the gym but at least it's not a democracy on the music selection when I'm in my garage. I can only stand the utz utz utz utz electronic music for so long at the gym.

The music drives me crazy at times. I had formally asked the gym coordinator to lower the songs or change it to something more suitable as it seems it makes me more tired by listening to these songs one after another for hours. :\
 
I've actually come to like some kinds of Electronic stuff, just not what seems to be really popular. There is a fairly large spectrum to choose from now at least. Bad Religion, AC/DC, Social Distortion, etc. are always a good choice and have been mainstays of my playlist for sustained heavy-bag Workouts. With the rain Coming Soon here in Cali I will be back at it with a taped wrist as I keep letting it buckle on uppercuts and descending over the shoulder strikes. Maybe it's time to give the machines a go again and get a nice swim in.
 
I am just packing my things for a couple of hours training tomorrow after work. Hopefully I'll get some good night of sleep now.
 
Walked 3.5 miles yesterday and walked 3.3 miles so far today. More to come for sure, but I really don't mind walking.
 
Walked about 4 miles to the Cathedral. Lit some candles, wrote some prayers in the prayer box (i'm not even Christian, just was touched with the message sin the book an dfelt liek I had to write something), chatted to a couple of people who just approached me for no reason and told us some facts about the cathedral and stuff that we were wondering - think they heard me talking out loud. But still - I think some people know intuitively when people need some company and just a chat for 2 minutes about anything.

Going out after being in a dark room for over a month on every opiate you could think of was surreal but I loved it: It was like being released from prison, like being re-born. Exhausting but felt the anxiety that builds up in your chest and stomach fizzle away. Endorphins starting to work again....Yes, you can heal.
 
Have exercised during the weekend but today I'm taking a break. I have been so hungry after one hour swimming. I always eat much more than I need.
 
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