When I exercise there are certain rituals that I will preform. Nothing strange or fancy. Just little things that are there to tell me I did well.

And in no small part a sort of reward.

I hate the thought of exercising because it just feels like work. But when you sit at a desk from 9-5 you need to stay in shape. And so more work is involved. One of the problems for me is that the word exercise is a strange word. Or, maybe the word itself isn't that strange, it is the connotation that comes with it.

Anyway, that is something that I want to save for another post.

Today it is all about the little things that we do when we buckle down when there is something that we really don't like doing. For me it is sweaty smelly physical exertion.

I am exaggerating, though it is true I would do other things than jog along the treadmill for twenty minutes or work my legs even though evolution has made me adapt at it. Music helps, but I find it hard to concentrate and it is easier to just power through it. The woman that usually uses the machine next to me just watches Property Brothers or something similar and zones out.

That would be nice.

But it is a null topic, my TV watching starts when I get home and have taken a shower and I'm curled up on the couch.

My ritual takes on the shape of changing into fresh clothes after the workout. For a lot of the people that frequent the gym that I go to it is finish up and rush out the door. It is a stretch for me to imagine driving home all sweaty but a lot of people do it. When the session is complete I grab my bag and go into a changing room and get freshed up.

On the way home I will stop by Wendy's and pick up a small portion of French fries. When I get home I shower and put on my extra thick bath rode and relax on the sofa with a hot mug of tea.

See, all simple and very easy. Nothing that would ruin benefit from the workout and it makes me so relaxed.

What types of rituals do you have?