Why Are Some Workouts “Donkey Work”
I ran across the phrase “donkey work” in my yoga teacher training. It is used to describe some asana poses, like a few backbends, that are arduous and effortful but provide many necessary benefits. So, unlike many of the restful, playful, or meditative yoga poses, you have to just knuckle down and do the donkey-work poses because they are good for you. When it comes to those dreaded backbends, the mindset is to just do them, get them over with, and experience the benefits.
I was thinking about the idea of donkey work and realized it applies to my High-Intensity Interval Training workouts. I have done hundreds of HIIT sessions in the last 2 decades. I don’t remember ever looking forward to one of them! In fact, I have dreaded them all and have conjured up every excuse in the book to avoid them. They are pure huffing-and-puffing effort. But the medical evidence and my own experience of doing HIIT trainings are so overwhelmingly positive that I always end up dragging myself to the gym (or to a big hill near my home), and, like a donkey, I just do it and get it over with. The only blessings of HIIT workouts are that 1) after the first couple of intervals, they get easier, and 2) the overall time to do the whole workout is short, only 20-30 minutes.
The latest evidence I’ve read is that HIIT training is 4 times more effective at increasing VO2 max than a regular cardio workout (in half the time). Interestingly, because of the intensity, there is no benefit in doing a HIIT workout more than once a week. And as much as I go on about the cardio benefits of Zone 2 workouts, HIIT work is an essential source of my stamina and energy. At almost 77 years old I have a VO2 max score of over 50, which, according to Runners World magazine, is an excellent score, even for someone in their 30s.
While the studies don’t go deeper than oxygen capacity, I’m sure that pushing our muscles and joints in the way that a HIIT workout demands has many other benefits. Flexibility, strength, endurance, and general vitality are all related to the ability to push ourselves when we need to. Keeping all those qualities, as well as increasing blood flow throughout the body, are essential to maintaining health and function as we get older. But let’s get back to donkey work, motivation, and doing things that benefit our lives and our health, even when we don’t want to!
Donkey Work and Motivation
Enough about the benefits of HIIT training. Getting those benefits will only happen if you knuckle down and do it. If you are planning to tackle a HIIT workout or any other form of exercise, whether it’s Zone 2 cardio, strength training, swimming, hiking, biking, running, Pilates, yoga, or tai chi, or even a new health practice like losing weight or tackling a disempowering emotional issue, getting to a place where you experience the benefits of that activity requires motivating yourself, showing up, and following through to actually do it.
If you struggle with motivation, perhaps think about these activities in terms of donkey work—it’s something you just have to get done. Once you start ruminating about whether you feel up to it, whether you have the time, or whether it really matters if you skip just one day, you often will let inertia get the better of you. And if you are a chronic couch sitter or procrastinator it’s even more challenging. With donkey work there are no excuses, no options. Getting it done means getting it done. Period. And just this once for now. Hopefully, once you do, you will feel the benefits, which will make the next time that much easier. Your body will remember the imprint of that exercise and want to experience it again.
Most of us find that adjusting an existing routine is far easier than getting going in the first place. But what if you are trying to get going on your chosen activity for the first time? Or you need to motivate yourself to do something you’d rather avoid, like a HIIT workout? Maybe, like me, be a donkey for the day. Make a promise to yourself that you are going to do your chosen activity and then just get it done and over with. No excuses, no options. You are going to try it to see what happens on the other side of your resistance. Once your donkey work is over, I’m pretty sure you’ll feel proud and just a bit healthier.
For further reading:
HIIT
VO2 Max
Zone 2
