5 Reasons Why I’m Dedicated To My Workout

I consider myself to have always been an athletic person (okay, semi-athletic). I knew that working out was important and could tell you all the mental and physical health benefits, but honestly? I was just really lazy. The prospect of working out after hours of studying, or worse, making myself leave my house on the weekend when I was still wearing pajamas, made working out a chore.

Well, this past year I have been able to stick to a solid workout routine, mostly due to the amazing fitness program I’m a part of (shout out to Kelly’s Bootcamp!). Staying at home these past two months has actually helped me improve my routine to a point where I no longer feel like exercising is something I have to do. Instead, it became something that I hate to miss, so I thought I’d share with you why!

Here are my top five reasons for working out:

IT’S AN EMOTIONAL RELEASE

We’ve all heard people say that you can take your anger out when you exercise. Well, guess what? You can express a whole host of emotions other than anger as well––grief, sadness, happiness, irritation, and anything else you’re feeling. During the week, I prefer to exercise in the evenings, after work hours. That gives me an entire day to live through and be affected by, and man, are there days when I want to run away and ignore the world. Although I think this idea holds merit, I instead throw on workout clothes and use whatever emotion I’m feeling as fuel. And afterwards, I may not have completely worked through my anger or frustration, but I promise you, it had lessened significantly.

IT ENCOURAGES OTHER HEALTHY HABITS

There’s nothing worse than working out while dehydrated. That’s why I now make sure I drink a ton of water during the day––and those who know me know that I’m not really a water drinker. As in, I used to go through the entire day without drinking a single sip. I know, extremely unhealthy, which is why it’s awesome that exercising is forcing me to drink so much water now! I carry my water bottle with me everywhere I go, and it’s made me be able to exercise with more strength than I could before.

IT INTRODUCED ME TO A NEW COMMUNITY

As a student, I would generally go workout at the college gym with one or two of my friends. This generally meant that we would walk into the building together, part ways to exercise, and then meet up at the end again (which is a perfectly fine way to work out!). In fact, in some situations, I still prefer this. But since I started at KBC, I have realized the value that a community brings in my journey to becoming healthier. Even now, when everything is virtual, I have a string of people encouraging me to do my best and showing me that they’re right with me. Even when I go out for a run, I sometimes see fellow KBC buddies outside and can hear the voices of the coaches cheering me on. It makes me want to show up for my classes because I know that I also encourage them to do their best, and that makes my workout much more fulfilling.

IT’S EMPOWERING

I feel my strongest after an intense workout; I know that I have the power and strength to finish what I set out to do, and this gives me confidence. It gives me the energy to continue doing workouts like that because I know that I can. It makes me feel accomplished. I carry this confidence into other aspects of my life as well. I know that I’m actively working on bettering my health, and I’m succeeding, so why can’t I do this with everything else? Regularly working out and committing fully to those workouts makes me believe that I am a strong, confident woman who can do whatever I set my mind to. 

IT MAKES ME BE A BETTER VERSION OF MYSELF

All of the reasons above are characteristics that make me grow as a person. Having a daily exercise routine has unconsciously challenged me to create healthier habits in other aspects of my life: better eating habits, better sleeping habits, and a better ability in evaluating my mental health. I have more patience with other people (maybe verify with my family on this one) and feel happier overall.

The key to sticking with a workout routine is finding one that works for you. So experiment with different styles and definitely try out the ones that intimidate you! 

Why do you exercise?