if you’ve read the post, then no caption needed!
Most people that exercise know about the benefit exercise has on stress. Ask anybody who knows this and the first thing they will tell you is that it’s because exercise gives you energy and increases serotonin in your brain. Yes this is true but there is another reason exercise is such a stress relief, it’s rhythmic.
You do the same motion or movements. Rather you do reps when lifting, run, bike or even take group classes. The repetitive motion is soothing and it serves as a positive distraction from your worries.
We are born with this necessity for rhythm. Maybe it’s something in our make or maybe it’s because the floating calm nature of a womb is how each human was created. Think about this as we journey to death. As a baby rocking put us to sleep, as a toddler a back pat or stroking a blanket allowed us to relax. Also as a toddler, we thrived best on a schedule which is repetitive day to day actions. This carried into our teen years. During our teen years is when the rythmic sounds of music began to persuade our personalities
We, and when I say ‘we’ I mean most of us, like to swing, swim, keep a beat with our foot and have sex. I’m not saying the over and over motion of sex is the only thing that calms us but it is one factor. Especially if sex is exercise! whoot whoot!
However with all things in life there must be a balance. When speaking about exercise the same repetitive motion, needs to interrupted with glitches in the program. Say you are a runner, you can’t always run. The same muscles will be used over and over making the primary muscles used much stronger than the secondary in use. The stronger will pull on your ligaments and skeletal structure which in turn pull on the secondary muscles and BOOM injury.
I use running as an example because it’s the most repetitive and common exercise motion but this muscular imbalance in not limited to running. Moral of the story is from birth we yearn for repetitive motion b/c it helps us calm down. We have to calm down to keep an emotional, mental and physical balance in our lives. Try something new and maybe add another sexasode in your week!
Straight Jackets and Chicken Wattles 
I certainly needed to read your thoughts on this at this point in my life. A few months ago, I found myself outside of my normal ‘Redwood Canopied Running Wonderland’ and in the beautiful, but bereft of Redwoods, Marin Headlands. I ran 15 miles over the hills and eventually to an ocean view. All the while, there were frigid winds, overcast and then sunny and then overcast again, no trees, but plenty of very expensive mountain bikes with very expensive riders and no sense of solitude. It became clear that solitude, uninterrupted rhythms, consistency of scenery in the woods, the envelope and protection of the forest were all key in the Zen of my intense running ritual. Also! I’m getting road bike, so my running muscles will be getting cross trained.
I get that, Shawn! totally. Solitude is an energizing way to get into the rhythm you need to achieve a peaceful workout. It’s not just the rhythms of your feet, arms and breathe but of everything surrounding you. All the surrounding energy pushing you forward and inward. Great post, Shawn!