What Role Do You Want Exercise To Play In Your Life?

If you ask yourself a question the brain will start to work to come up with an answer. Asking yourself the right question is key in coming up with an insightful answer.  As I continue to get a handle on my thoughts of food and exercise and body image the questions came to mind: What role do I want exercise to play in my life? This is an area that I feel like I’ve become much more balanced in. It used to be that when I went on a trip I spent a lot of time planning and figuring out how I was going to get my weight workouts in: Where was the nearest gym? When was I going to have time? How was I going to get to the gym? What kind of workouts should I do? Do I need to plan to do body weight workouts? If I wasn’t going to have access to weights on my trip then I would have to lift heavy the week before to make up for the time without weights. It was all consuming. It would have been better to spend that time thinking about the purpose of my trip, who I was going to get to see and spend time with, or what new things I could see and do. Those are the things that matter and are important to focus on and not the fear and anxiety around how I was going to get my workouts in.

Exercise is still a priority for me but it’s not all consuming. If I’m traveling for work, for a family visit, or for vacation I know that I will be active. It’s in my DNA to be that way. If I don’t know what kind of workout equipment will be available, it’s okay because I know I can be resourceful in finding ways to be active and work my muscles. 

Last year I had two trips both about a week long where I didn’t have access to weights. While I missed weight training, I took the opportunity to be active outside and do body weight workouts. It still felt good to start my mornings being active or finding ways to explore the areas with running, hiking, or biking.  For me ,this is the role I want exercise to play in my life:

Connection: Being active is my favorite way to spend time with others. I love meeting a friend for yoga or an after work hike, or going biking to a restaurant with my husband.  It brings me joy to share my love of activity with others.

Solitude: I value the time I have to myself each morning to do weight training. It’s the time I’ve devoted to myself and getting stronger.  Lifting weights makes be feel powerful and I love starting my days weight training.

Mood Booster: I have a theory that I’m more sensitive to endorphins and when they get released by my body durning exercise it gives me an incredible high much like drinking coffee. It instantly puts me in a better mood.

Confidence Builder: Achieving my training goals has helped me to conquer and achieve other goals in my life. When I make a new personal best record with my weight lifting it gives me a surge of energy and inspiration to tackle other projects and goals I’ve set for myself.

Stress Reducer: Exercise feels like a pressure release valve has been released in my mind and in my body.  Going for a walk after a stressful or busy day at work feels like a release, like an exhale.  It’s much better than letting thoughts stew in my head and letting the stress reside in my body.

Catalyst: “Own the morning, own the day”  this is somethingI 100% believe in and why I do my workouts in the morning. Taking care of my body is my first priority of the day and  it gives me the energy and focus to start the day and do what needs to get done.

Longevity & Health Span:  I’m keenly aware of the “you don’t use it, you lose it” principal when it comes to the body. I want exercise to keep me healthy and independent and allow me to experience life fully. I want to be able to dance, climb stairs , enjoy nature, walk and explore new places throughout my whole life. Keeping my body moving and my muscles strong will allow me to do this.

What’s changed on my attitude of exercise: My goal is to keep exercise enjoyable and sustainable. I find ways to be active throughout the day like walking my dog three times a day, going for walks with friends after work, walking or taking my bike to a restaurant or coffee shop. It’s not used burn off all the “bad” food that I ate. It’s no longer something that I feel like I need to kill myself on, like when I was doing Crossfit. I don’t need to use it to  negate the effects of  unhealthy food I ate.  Now exercise is always done for enjoyment. It’s an essential part of my day because when I”m active I’m simply happier.

When I hear people say “you’re so good about exercise” or “good for you for working out!” It feels like getting congratulated for brushing your teeth.  It’s just something I do, it’s a habit completely engrained into my lifestyle. I don’t find ways to build exercise into my life, my lifestyle revolves around activity. It brings that much enjoyment to me.  If you want to add more activity into your life, ask yourself what would that look like? What role would exercise play in your life? If you’re at the other end of the spectrum and you obsess about your workouts, take a step back and ask yourself what role do want exercise to play in your life? What would a more balanced approach of exercise look like for you?