Pleasure Vs Pain

Why we need to rethink our workout motivation

- Zoe Louise Cronk

The old saying “no pain, no gain” is one many of us reach for when gritting our teeth through those last few reps at the gym. Equally, when we don’t feel the familiar pangs of DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness) after a workout, guilt settles in as we berate ourselves for not pushing ourselves hard enough. Why do we do this?

Shouldn’t fitness be a form of therapy, as opposed to a punishment for what we’ve eaten or how we look in the mirror? It’s a question more people are asking, but there’s plenty of room to delve deeper. Why do so many of us experience self-deprecating relationships with exercise? After all, many of us have experienced the high of endorphins; so isn’t it possible to harness them as the reason for exercising in the first place, to ensure our sweat sessions are less about penance and more about feel-good factor? And in that case, wouldn’t pleasure, not pain, be a better motivator when it comes to working out?

POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT

Pip Black is co-founder of Frame, one of London’s most fun-filled fitness studios, known for its positive attitude, boundless energy and a great variety of classes. When it comes to inspiring clients to exercise, Black’s enthusiastic response says it all: “At Frame, our purpose is to ensure that getting fit never feels like a chore. We want every trip to leave you feeling great!” Anyone who has attended a barre, dance cardio or rebounding class in one of their six locations across the British capital will agree they’ve achieved this in spades.