A Non-Exhaustive But Exhausting Reading List for Fitness Hobbies

I am a very active person, in part because I have so much running through my brain at a given time. Sometimes, it helps to physically run away.

I'm very aware of the role of endorphins in my happiness — and how much more confident I feel when it's clear I've been working hard, whether that's how much more I can lift or getting braver in the water during a surf.

In adulthood, especially, physical activity is a core need of mine when I have so many abstract, intangible goals dominating my focus. I can't control whether I get a book deal at the end of the day, but I can at least point to a physical win as something nobody can take away from me.

It's a helpful balance to have.

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That being said, I don't love repeating the same workout. I do need variation. I would love to be a morning exerciser (and am so jealous of people who can function after doing so), but I get so wiped if I do. Plus, I'm smartest in the A.M. so need to take advantage of the cognitive. As a bad sleeper, I do like tiring myself out in the evening so then I can snooze more easily, and I love being outside for sunset.

Then sometimes I'm just at a low. 2024 has been exhausting, I'm pretty burnt out, but I still have a lot of challenges ahead. So pouring myself into activity is the best bet—something that physiologically gives me a sunnier outlook, gives me a tangible win for confidence, distracts me from thinking too much, and at the very least sets a pattern of intention to be better overall.

Plus, getting in nature and experiencing awe is good for keeping you humble while also making you feel more connected to the world and those around you. Any time I have been in a mental rut, the physical pursuits have been the way out. Tangible wins, distraction, tiredness (but building your energy), physical strength, routine.

I've been consistent about exercise over the past year or so, but now I want to go all-in while I'm in my Sisyphus mode. Hobby-wise, I have a few, so wanted to share my favorites and books that have informed my thinking about each.

Dancing

I was a dancer in my early years. When I had a rough go of it in spring 2019, I went back to my summer camp and taught dance classes to middle schoolers. Then, I went to California and Nashville where I trained in heels, hip hop, jazz funk, and contemporary with a lot of the modern stars of the dance world. When I'm particularly brain dead, you will find me posting and reposting endless videos in front of that Millennium Dance Complex or Playground LA backdrop.

In 2024, there's also been a resurgence of popularity in line-dancing and barriers broken within country music. Give it to me, baby. I'm forever trying to convince my friends to go dance with me at Whiskey Dix Saloon (a country bar on island) but they never want to go and run into their military underlings. C'est la vie.

Give me a dance floor or a studio—I don't care. I wouldn't call myself particularly good anymore because my short-term memory is shot (and I'm convinced dancers have the best short-term memory of any professional) so I am very, very slow to pick up choreography. I'm hesitant on an actual dance floor, unless I have booze in my system or just completely do not care to look like a freak (both equally possible.)

My preferred genre is heels or jazz funk, which is basically sezzzzy dancing. It's a mix of my ballet background and build giving me an emphasis on lines—leg extensions, flexibility and the like—plus the empowerment of the music. I have a grand ol' time, especially dancing to a throwback, and if you put me in a hip hop class, I'm probably leaning towards jazz funk in my improvization too.

God, I love it. So, so much.

Of course, the usual physical benefits apply. But also, when we're dancing with others, our brain waves sync together which is why we feel so good. Plus, we love the meshing of senses. Studies show that it doesn't even matter what your body is doing as long as it's in rhythm; there's something innately satisfying about matching what you're seeing and hearing. Plus, dancing and picking up choreography is absolutely a flow state with a memory challenge, because if you look away and miss the next eight-count, you're a goner.

I'd planned to take ballet classes again when back on island before my Europe trip, and now will definitely make an effort to go consistently every week. The other classes are a bit more pop-up in style, but I'll still try to make sure that I'm able to get to the other parts of the island when they're hosted.

The Reads

• This Is Your Brain on Music by Daniel J. Levitin: Like I said, sensory variation is one of my biggest personal happiness drivers, so music is crucial. A big part of dancing is obviously listening and anticipating, so understanding why the song moves you has only given me more pleasure in my dancing.
• Flow by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi: Flow is largely the pursuit of optimal experience. This idea that time both slows enough for you to relish but speeds up enough for you to lose track. It's the perfect mix of engaged but relaxed, that ideal level of challenge. For me, that's dancing.
• Cultish by Amanda Montell: I have realized that I deeply enjoy "cultish" activities. After reading this book, I got into Peloton and joined a CrossFit gym. Dancing is obviously top of the list. But it's not expressly about physical activity, so: bonus pick.

Running

Running was a big core pursuit for me for a long time. At this point, everyone in my family except for my dad has run a marathon if not multiple. I was supposed to do the TCS New York City Marathon in fall of 2023 before dropping out for injury, but I did have the joy of watching my twin sister kill it. We're asthmatic so like, we'll never be fast, but there's still something immensely satisfying about gradually increasing your mileage, speed, and ease.

Plus, I've never really not found running uncomfortable (even when at its easiest), so do relish the challenge and the distraction of it. It's nice to physically be gone for a while from your environment—to just get out. I used to have a once-a-year racing cadence before largely getting bored of running during COVID, but now seems like a good time to pick it back up again. Plus, I miss having those calves.

The Reads

• Endure by Alex Hutchinson: All about Nike's pursuit of the sub-two hour marathon, this book includes insights on pain, mind over body elasticity, genetic benefits, and more. I did a presentation on this book in college—loved it.
• Let's Get Physical by Danielle Friedman: While not solely about running, this (slightly dry, but overall good) read deals a lot with the cultural history of running i.e. how older generations of women couldn't because people feared jogging would make their uteruses fall out. (Yes, really.) So it talks about why the first marathon shattered stereotypes, and how we've evolved to look at women in sports and fitness.

Surfing (& Swimming)

While I moved to Hawai'i in fall 2020, I didn't really start surfing consistently until I visited Somos, a surf hostel in Santa Teresa, Costa Rica in July 2023. My one goal was to take a surf lesson everyday, and the waves there were easy to learn on: gentle and consistent no matter the height, with soft sand to fall on. Plus, it was gorgeous and social.

So when I came back, I found my new favorite spots. The North Shore gets big in the winter and flat in the summer, so I didn't get much of an opportunity to go after about March, but this fall, I've loved it.

As a Floridian, I'll always feel very connected to the water. I grew up on swim teams (and always wanted to be the type of person who naturally did a ton of laps), and being near the ocean makes me happy. I write frequently about the concept of "blue mind" as a wellness boost and travel incentive for various publications, and also just love awe and immersion into nature.

I love that you cannot be near your phone, that you are alone with your thoughts (although sometimes this can be dangerous), and that it will be a different experience every time because of the thousand conditions that can affect your experience. Surfing also kind of radiates "cool" energy in a way I'm not too ashamed to admit I want.

I also read a meditation on swimming a few years ago that impacted me a lot, and reminded me why the water feels so crucial to my self-identity.

The Reads

• Why We Swim by Bonnie Tsui: From Icelandic shipwrecks to the challenging waters of Alcatraz, this part-social history, part-memoir is a gorgeous meditation on the values and considerations of swimming.
• Blue Mind by Wallace J. Nichols: A surprisingly comprehensive Bible of sorts for why being in and around water—especially the ocean—is so good for you. Read my review.
• Barbarian Days: A Surfing Life by William Finnegan: I live on O'ahu. I had to.

Hiking

One of my giant life goals is to thru-hike the Pacific Crest Trail—so ingrained in my bucket list that I absolutely know that I will do it because I couldn't stomach not making it happen. It's hard to plan for, but I'll get it done at some point in my life, even if I do have to section-hike (don't want to—I want the true thru-experience—but I would settle if needed.)

Backpacking makes me feel so much more capable, and so much more grounded. Of course, I crave natural beauty and seeking it out is a major force in my life that impacts how I travel, where I live, and what I'm doing at any given time. It's that mix of connection and humility, too. You're physically pushing yourself, digitally disconnecting, and embracing nature. There's nothing better than the view and the burn.

For me, I also love the contrast of comforts after a hike. A hot shower feels a thousand times better. A burger is practically euphoric. Somehow everything whittles down to what is simple and good and worth loving.

The Reads

• Awe by Dachner Keltner: I mostly hike for awe and connection to nature, although I do appreciate the physical movement, and an understanding of what exactly awe is can deepen the experience and pull you out of your head in a helpful way.
• Wild by Cheryl Strayed: There are admittedly a lot of reasons why Cheryl Strayed's depiction of the PCT is not necessarily a good or helpful one, but it is still probably the most fully-fledged hiking memoir for that specific trail out there.
• On Trails by Robert Moore: More about the trail systems themselves than the physical process, but will also intensify your appreciation for the lands you walk on.

Of course, I'd absolutely complement with some Mary Oliver, Alan Lightman, and similar. For a fiction pick, opt for The Other Side of Lost by Jessi Kirby or Happiness for Beginners by Katherine Center.

The Gym Overall

But of course, sometimes life is unpredictable and you just need to squeeze in whatever you can. I have my little geeky under-desk treadmill. I have a walking path right by my house. I have workouts I can do on autopilot with one of my closest friends (who really should be a trainer. She's a beast.)

The nice part about lifting is that you do see the numbers increase over time. It's good for your aging, your overall health, your body composition, and any number of things that make you feel overall better. My version was in helping my dad carry the fresh water jugs in Canada without a problem in July—felt so good to finally have developed enough strength. It gives your mind something to push past.

So I love a solid, normal workout too. Just something you disconnect during, proof of a checkbox that you showed up for yourself. All that motivational jazz.

The Reads

• On Muscle by Bonnie Tsui: As a confession, I haven't actually read this. But it's on my list by the same author of Why We Swim, so I have no doubt that it strikes a fantastic balance between research and musings.
• Move by Caroline Williams: I'm actually currently in the middle of this one! A helpful overview of the link between the brain and the body in a culture that can be largely sedentary.
• Mind in Motion by Barbara Tversky: It was really, really helpful for me to realize that you can drive thoughts with action specifically. So do it when you don't feel like it. Your mind will reshape itself accordingly based on what you are physically doing. Fake it 'til you make it. Power through.