Exercise for all the things you have to gain, not lose. Exercise to take care of your body, not punish it. Exercise because you can. Move your body because you’re physically able to.
Creating a sustainable lifestyle that incorporates exercise is not easy. It looks different for absolutely everyone, so I can’t tell you what will work for you, but I can tell you what won’t. If exercise is coming from a negative place, it’s not sustainable. If you exercise because you hate the way you look, you won’t stick to it.
Repeat after me: EXERCISE IS A PRIVILEGE, NOT A CHORE.
We honestly cannot even begin to understand how lucky we are to be physically able to exercise. Until you lose a limb, develop a debilitating health condition, or become unable to walk, we will continue to take something as simple as sitting down and standing up for granted.
Instead of thinking about all the extra weight, fat in your lower belly, or those jiggly arms you’d like to ditch, reframe your thinking into all the positive things you have to gain from creating a healthy lifestyle for yourself. Once you start viewing exercise in terms of how it makes you feel both mentally and physically, it will become one of the most rewarding parts of your day.
I exercise for my mental health because it keeps me sane. I exercise to push myself to new limits to prove to myself that I am stronger than I ever thought possible. I exercise because it gives me self-confidence, which floods into every other aspect of my life. I exercise to strengthen my body so it can withstand all that life throws at it. I exercise to keep my cardiovascular health in tip-top shape. I exercise to prevent deterioration that comes along with getting older.
Why do you exercise?
Mandi.