Sports as an Introvert: find what really works for you

I never particularly liked group sports. Looking back, I believe it was largely because I am an introvert. I remember I was sent to dance, modern ballet and gymnastics classes when I was a child. The classes were in the evenings, and I really didn't like going to these big groups after a day spent in school. I didn't like that I wasn't the best in either of these sports and felt sidelined. I also wasn't the one to claim attention and support to become better at it. After a while, I kept saying to my parents that I really didn't enjoy these sports and eventually I was allowed to stop with them.

Later on, during my time at university, I discovered a nice student deal to a local swimming center. I started going there, I took time to swim and once I was done with my routine, I could chill in the thermal and bath or jacuzzi. I always went there all by myself. While swimming my mind was spinning over university, things I needed to do, my dreams, ideas popping up. It felt good to move and physically exhaust myself, while still be able to let my mind wonder.

I also discovered over time, how much I loved walking. Even in busy Budapest, I would leave work and just walk home. It was over an hour to get home, and luckily for me, I could pass through downtown Budapest, past river Danube and all the bustling places. Well, when I say walking, what I really mean is a power walk. Just as with swimming, I felt the pressure in my legs from moving fast, my breath speeding up, and yet my mind was in perfect peace. Thoughts were circling through, I would replay episodes of the day or situations that were frustrating to me to find ways of handling them, or just feel immense gratitude to be there passing through Liberty bridge of Budapest and embracing the city life I always dreamt of. By the time I got home, I felt tired from the walk but recharged in my mind.

I started taking yoga classes, but quickly did I realize: I enjoyed the movement, but I didn't enjoy being around random people in the class. So I subscribed for an online yoga app (stay tuned: an in depth review is coming), which I've been using ever since. Since 2017.

These experience eventually took me to realizing two important things:

1. I love sports. Perhaps it is better to say I love to move.

2. I love to move on my own term.

So nowadays my week looks something like this:

• Monday: weight training + yoga + walk during lunch break at the office

• Tuesday: biking to work (10 km one way) / elliptical trainer + walk during lunch break at the office

• Wednesday: tennis with my husband + walk during lunch break at the office

• Thursday: barre workout at home

• Friday: weight training + yoga

• Saturday: big walk with the dog + catch up with anything I didn't do during the week

• Sunday: big walk with the dog

Looking back to all of this now, I realize a lot of my preferences are dictated by the fact that I'm an introvert. Sports and movement is rewarding for me, it is nice to see how my muscles grow, how I feel stronger and have a better endurance. When moving however, I enjoy my headspace. I enjoy that my mind can wonder and release frustrations, get ideas and inspiration, or just focus on my body and the sensations I'm getting from the movement. When outside, I breath in nature and charge from the sun, fresh air and wind.

This is what works well for me. By no means would I say that only 'lonely sports' are good for introverts. I'm sure there are many introverts out there enjoying group sports and charging up from being around their team mates and reach results together. I also don't mean to say that the routine I'm following is the right one. It works very well for me, and perhaps it may work well to you, or not. And that is okay.

The point I want to make is:

Mindset about sport and movement

Perhaps you are in similar shoes as I was, that based on my initial experiences of sports, I was abandoning it. It was because I was doing things that I didn't quite like, and was not good at. It took me a while to start to listen to my body and acknowledge what types of movement felt good.

Find out what works well for you

Once you are there to acknowledge what feels good, time to explore further. My advice here is to try out as many as you can. Maybe go with one of your good friends to the gym, or join a class, or just give it a try at home, alone. Be conscious and aware of how you feel during the exercise to draw your conclusions of what type of sports work well for you.

Take the time to feel comfortable

Sometimes we know from the very first try, that this is not the right sport or not the right setting for us. However, sometimes it is good to give it a second or a even a third shot. We introverts tend to need more time to feel comfortable in a new setting, so maybe it comes down to not being able to fully immense ourselves in the sport because the setting is unknown. It can help to go with a trusted friend as well, then you have someone known in this unknown environment.

Build up the routine

We, introverts are generally persistent and therefore once we find something we like doing, and with a good and achievable plan, it can be easy to build up the habit and stick to sporting. My advice here though is to be realistic. Don't expect of yourself to be excelling in a new sport after only a few times (or even many times) and don't beat yourself up when it's not going so well right away. Listen to your body, and you will know if you need to slow down. And when you did slow down (or took smaller weighs, or swam less lanes, or told your sports team that you needed a breather), you will be able to resume and build up your endurance.

Ask for help

While we have the tendency as introverts to try to solve everything on our own, we would prefer doing our own research and try to build up our own training plan, it is sometimes a good idea to ask for help. It can be a trainer, someone who is more experienced in the sport, or a community where you can find a few new friends. It may not only be beneficial to learn the sport and techniques faster but also to avoid any injuries or malpractice.

It is rewarding in so many different ways to find sports and activities that work well for us. It can be a way of staying healthy, being part of a community, claiming our own space, getting tired physically after a long and mentally tiring workday or just a way to connecting with our body and mind. I hope you discover(ed) many of those sports beneficial for you and find a way to keep practicing them.