Addiction

If you or someone you know is or was a smoker you know how addicting nicotine can be. No one gets addicted to nicotine after the first try. I was a smoker once. When I first started it was anything but enjoyable. After a few weeks of smoking, I began to enjoy it. I felt like it calmed me down and helped me relax. However, soon after I became so dependent that needed a cigarette first thing in the morning, after every meal, and before bed. Because I had formed a habit it was very difficult for me to quit.

Endorphins

Working out is not an easy tasks to become accustomed to. Exercise and smoking are similar in a way. Exercise is a habit that once you become accustomed to, it is very hard to quit. When I first started working out I hated it. I couldn’t wait for it to be over. Day after day and week after week I just kept at it. The body releases endorphins into your blood stream during exercise. Endorphins are the bodies reward system for exercising. Endorphins produce a sense of euphoria similar to drugs such as morphine.
I was overweight and I hated to exercise. How did I lose all the weight? I got addicted. One day during a run I had an introspective moment. I realized that I was no longer thinking about how much I hated exercising. I was beginning to actually enjoy myself. As my body became accustomed exercise, it felt good! It was then that I realized that I was addicted to endorphins. As with any drug addiction there are side effects. Endorphins are no different. I began to look better, feel better and become healthier.

Sacrifice

I have been addicted for over ten years now. Unlike most addicts, my life has significantly improved. I had to give up a lot of things to support my addiction. I needed to make the time to exercise. I had to give up watching hours of television. I had to give up staying up late. I had to give up sleeping in. I had to give up hanging out with friends. In short, I became disciplined with my time and my life. Everything that I felt was unproductive in my life had to go.

Get Addicted

Today I like the person that I have become. I am more responsible, disciplined, and organized: all things that I thought would never be true of me. However, all these things became true of me because of my addiction.
The only way to get results from exercise is to get addicted. The only way to get addicted is to develop the habit. The only way to develop the habit is to be consistent. The only way to be consistent is to give up being unproductive. In the end what are you really giving up? I believe that you will find as I did, by getting addicted to exercise you really don’t give up anything. By developing the habit of regular exercise you will become more productive in every area of your life. Take control of your life.