What does (or doesn’t) motivate you to move? In a culture obsessed with thin-ness and six packs, it can feel impossible to be okay in your own skin. Here are 3 top reasons cited to us for what motivates people to exercise:
1. Lose weight
2. Fit into old clothes
3. Lose fat
Notice a theme? While the pursuit of weight loss and gliding effortlessly into clothes from years past can feel all kinds of amazing, you may find it’s a fleeting motivation on your journey. The fact is, there will be days and weeks you don’t always hit a visual target, and maybe even some where you miss the mark so completely you want to run and hide.
If your only inspiration for exercise is the results you can see, you will be hard pressed to enjoy the results you can feel. You will be so obsessed with the calories burned, the amount of weight dipping down on the scale, that you’ll forget to enjoy the other less talked about benefits: hormonal balance (we could all use a little of this in today’s over-processed world), blood sugar regulation, stress reduction, sleep improvement, mood enhancement … we could go on and on …
Study after study cites exercise as a leading factor in the improvement of conditions both mental and physical. One would think, then, that movement should be as automatic as breathing.
But it’s not.
Instead, we imprison ourselves with an all-or-nothing, aesthetic state of mind. Our sole motivation becomes how we look and focuses very little on how we feel. It’s no wonder that giving up on a new exercise regimen feels (and is) so easy; for most, the goals hinge so delicately on the ideas about physical perfection we’ve wrapped our mind around, that when those aren’t achieved or take longer than expected, we give up because we were never really doing it to feel good, were we?
It’s time we confront our demons. The ones that terrify us into thinking that exercise is a punishment for not looking a certain way. We propose a new outlook. One that accepts the aesthetic goals, but focuses first and foremost on what really matters: our quality of life day in and day out (and movement is vital). Here are five non-scale, non aesthetic reasons to enjoy your workouts long after a goal is met:
Build Strength & Stamina
At our Sacramento studio we have membership software that tracks workout performance and improvement. Members get to see where they started, where they are and set goals for where they want to be. The focus is purely on reaching THEIR Personal Best, whatever that looks like. We recently had to purchase an entire crew of heavier kettle bells because people were blasting through the weights at lightning speed! Focusing on performance and Personal Records takes away the pressure and desperation of exercising just to lose weight.
Feel Happier
It’s no secret that exercise helps improve mood. For some it’s subtle and for others it’s an overwhelmingly good sensation. Either way, consistent exercise and movement does improve quality of life overall. More importantly, it also improves your outlook on life and your response to daily events.
Reduce or Eliminate Chronic Ailments
When it comes to relieving daily chronic health conditions, it is well know that they benefit immensely from movement and tend to worsen with a sedentary lifestyle. Our bodies were designed to move and thrive when we stay in motion. For some, it’s running 5 miles and for others it’s walking the same 5 miles. Whatever journey you’re on, embrace it and celebrate the mini victories.
Improve Energy
At first it might not feel like you have a lot of energy as your body adapts to a new routine, but as you get into a rhythm and find what types of exercise work best for you individually, you will start to notice bursts of energy you didn’t have before. You’ll also be more alert and present. Paired with adequate sleep, this is a recipe for success!
Feel Inspired to Making Better Food Choices
When we move more in general, making healthy choices in the kitchen naturally feels like something we should do. Maybe not at first, but eventually we’ll realize that sabotaging our good efforts with meal after unhealthy meal makes no sense. When you start eating food that energizes you and pair it with a daily exercise routine, you become unstoppable.
No matter where you are on your journey, we encourage you to go be active today and don’t focus on how many calories you burn, or how many pounds until your goal. Focus on how you feel and all of the incredible health benefits! Developing this type of relationship with exercise will help you stick with it no matter what.
Until Next Time,
Sham & Christina
