Punching (the right) things feels really good.

I was reminded for the first time in a long time today of the great psychological value of working out.  I spent an ungodly number of hours in bureaucratic hell at work this week, and there's no end in sight.  I'm also recovering from a big surgery and have been doing physical therapy for my chest, back, and arms twice a week for the last couple of months.  I'm finally to the point where it feels like a real workout - at 45 minutes I feel like jelly and I've managed to sweat through my clothes. 

So this morning after spending three hours chasing my tail at work, I showed up at PT, and my therapist knew something was up.  She had me throw punches while holding five pound weights, and it was the absolute best thing for me.  I walked out of there feeling better than I have in a while. 

I think that sometimes when work and life swallow us whole, the temptation to put off moving is overwhelming.   It certainly is for me.  It's nice to have such a stark reminder of how much mental and emotional value there is in exercise, beyond the physical benefits.  It's a good reminder that it's pretty rare that I don't have enough time to do this a few days a week - the time I get back in sanity and focus is so much greater.