Are you a yogi? I have to say for the longest time, I didn’t like yoga – at all. I found it kind of boring and I didn’t feel like it worked for me because I feel like I’m the exact opposite of flexible. I also didn’t see it as exercise. Recently, I decided to give it another shot. I kinda love it now. Something has definitely shifted. It’s changed how I see my body. It’s also changed how I see fitness and my body. I didn’t realize how yoga can really lead you on a deep dive into so much. I’m learning so much and it’s been a beautiful journey. I say all that to say, I took a class the other night and I had a light bulb moment. Let me explain.
For a while now, I’ve been committed to exercise six days a week. At this point, it’s a lifestyle and a huge part of who I am. My commitment has been noticed by my friends and family consistently these days. The responses range from good for you to why are you working out so much? I have varying answers to this question. The other night I was taking a yoga class and the teacher said I want to give my body everything it’s given me. And I thought, yes, that’s it. That’s what I’ve been trying to say.
There are so many reasons for why I exercise like I do. One of them being, I can look around and see the ailments that plague my community and my family and know I want to avoid them. Many of them can be prevented or helped with exercise. So for me, it is partially about preventative maintenance.
I also realize that our bodies are a gift. Fitness is one of the ways I choose to take care of that gift. One of my fitness instructors always says “treat your body like it belongs to someone you love.” That’s impactful. I treat my husband, kids and mom with love. Why would I short change myself? Loving myself means giving myself grace. It also means pushing myself outside of my comfort zones and being mindful of what I do and how I’m treating myself. I love me and this is one of the ways I show up for myself. It just feels good too.
I love how I feel when I’m working out and especially the boost of confidence I get when it’s over. I continue to challenge myself because I’m curious to see what else my body can do. That’s led me to really bet on myself with things like weight lifting and more challenging classes that I would have avoided before. I feel stronger. It doesn’t hurt that my mom told me my arm feels like a baseball bat. It also doesn’t hurt that when I popped on a bikini to get in a pool with my kids my daughter screamed, “Mom, you have abs!”. I would be lying if I said that didn’t feel good.
Speaking of my daughter, another big reason I work out is my kids. You know how kids watch what you do more than they listen to what you say? My daughter likes to join me in working out. She and my son think I’m some strong superhero based on watching me exercise. They are always questioning the foods we eat or the things I eat. They want to make sure foods are healthy and good for them.
At the end of the day, I want to be my best for as long as I can. Exercise is definitely a huge factor in that ambition.
3 Comments on Why Exercise? (even if you hate it)
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Wow, I’ve been looking for words to describe why I do it but your yoga teacher’s words are spot on. It’s a kind of self-love.
Half a year ago, I started to stretch 30 min after every workout. In the beginning, I hated it, and it still often feels like a task I just have to get done. The 30 minI spend stretching, doesn’t give me much. During my workouts and just generally in life, however, stretching has greatly improved the quality of my life.
Your title is right, exercise, even if you hate it. It will improve your life.
Malthe Haagen recently posted…Fasted cardio – Is a workout on empty stomach effective?
One of the Best line i heard in recent time ““treat your body like it belongs to someone you love.””
This is something which can motivate anyone to think deeper about the fitness. Coming out of the comfort zone is biggest challenge. If one start anyhow, keeping that rhythm up and going again requires discipline and some kind of motivation.
Thank you Camesha for sharing this piece of work.
Playgloba recently posted…5 Best Low-Carb Vegetable must in your Fitness Diet Plan
Exercising is beneficial, and I’m glad you stated many benefits of this. I find it hard to exercise due to my busy schedule, but I hope to improve on this.