Will you miss exercising?

Anyone new to exercise can attest how hard it is. It's hard for a body not used to physical movement and it's hard for a mind that hasn't quite grasped all the changes necessary to do those workouts day after day.

You move forward in fits and starts, hoping to turn that corner from something that feels completely foreign to something that's, if not comfortable, at least familiar.

What you may not realize is that, if you can find a way to be consistent something strange will happen: One day? You'll actually miss exercise.

I always enjoy the moment others realize this. Take one friend who went on vacation and because of the weather and a scattered schedule, got off track with his workouts. When he came back, he hopped on the treadmill without complaint (a miracle all by itself) and said, "I never thought I'd say this, but I actually missed this."

While falling in love with exercise is a bit of a stretch, there can be a don't-know-what-you've-got-until-it's-gone aspect to it. You may not even realize you've become emotionally and physically attached to your workouts until you're forced into an unplanned break. After a few missed workouts, you may start to feel a little twitchy. You may find yourself snapping at others for no apparent reason. You may even find that, when reunited with your workouts, you feel something that could almost be called happiness.

Yes, it seems impossible that this could occur, but it will...if you stick with it long enough. How long is long enough? That changes from person to person, but I would give it a few months.