I wanted to start with reasons to exercise. Three things to think about that will motivate you to get up, out, and moving. These are the three things that motivated me to start exercising and have healthier eating habits and they are three things I still think about when I'm feeling lazy and just
don't want to work out.
1. Not only will your body thank you, but so will your mind.
Yes, exercising will make you look great and feel great physically. You'll look in the mirror everyday and feel proud of yourself after every workout. You'll feel happier (endorphins make you happy, thank you ms. woods you've now been quoted one million and ONE times.) And then you'll go to work. Or you'll arrive at work the next morning. Or you'll run to pick up your kids. Or you'll head to class or continue working on that paper that's been taking forever... and you'll realize...it's all a little clearer. You're mind is clearer, you're getting things done faster, there isn't this sort of fog making things harder to get done than they already are, and you're just more energetic. I think that's my favorite part of exercising! I even have a little note I wrote myself at my desk in my room that says, "If you're having a crappy day, GO WORKOUT. You WILL feel better." And you know what? That little note is always right.
2. Think about your future self.
-Think about yourself in 10 years. 20 years. Think about how you want to look. Think about how you want to feel. Think about your insides and how healthy you want them to be then. Even think about your future children. Whether you're right there or that's not going to happen for another 5 or 10 years. Think about their health. Think about their bodies. You and your body are setting them up. Think about where you want to be career wise. A healthy body and mind will only help you get to where you want to be. Now, apparently nobody can see the future. But you can try to control the way you want it to go. And exercise is something that involves nothing but you. Nobody else, no equipment, no money. JUST. YOU. And it can only benefit the future you. So think about your future self and her (or his) health.
3. It'll motivate you to live a healthier, more balanced lifestyle all around.
After a few days you'll start to feel your self getting stronger, see small differences in what your body looks like, and just all together feel so much better that you may look for other ways to get stronger and feel better. And that may lead you to seek out healthier foods and practices like yoga and meditation. You just need to have an open mind to it all. I was never the best eater. I loved sweets and would just over do it. But once I started working out regularly and getting into a healthy routine with it, I wanted to try eating healthier when I could. I wanted to do research and see what would make my body feel better, perform better, and look better. You'll never regret working out, it can only make you more aware and inspired to live a healthier life.
