Exercise used to be a drag. Logging long hours on cardio machines with little variety, working out served one purpose- to make up for calories consumed. The good news is that times are changing! We get it now, it’s not about calories in versus calories out. When you feel good, you look good! In understanding and adopting this mindset, you can get your head out of the way to do what feels good in your body.
I know this because I’ve been there. I would slave away working my body past its limits, never really enjoying my workout until it was done. After learning about how fun working out can be, it changed the game for me. Check out a few ways that I’ve learned how to exercise to celebrate my body not punish it.
1. Try something new.
Calling all Cardio Queens: This is not the way to get results. From my experience, most people don’t love doing cardio, but they do it because they feel they have to as a way to keep from gaining weight or to punish themselves for what they did or didn’t do. How about changing that mindset and exploring some new fitness avenues? Maybe you take a yoga class that helps you get your zen on, try a hip hop class, a barre class or try a group class with a few friends. Working out isn’t supposed to feel like a drag, it’s supposed to lift you up and make you feel good. By spicing it up, bringing in a few new ideas into your routine, you can find something that works for you. As with most things, you may feel weird or not be great at it on your first try- that’s half the fun!
2. Revisit the quote “Working out is a celebration of what you can do, not a punishment for what you ate.”
When you first get started working out, you may have one goal in mind with little flexibility on your road to getting there. I challenge you to change your perspective when you find yourself falling into this trap. The truth of the matter is, if you approach your workouts with this mindset, it won’t ever feel good to move your body in the way it was meant to. Start to see your workout as a time you get to be with yourself, feel your body and move it in ways that make you feel powerful. There’s so much more to your workout than the outside!
3. Celebrate your milestones.
When you run a little longer or notice yourself paying more attention to your breathing throughout your workout, celebrate it! Be proud of what your body is doing - this can extend far beyond your time in the gym. If you start going for a walk after dinner to help with your digestion or start making healthy on-the-go snacks for the week, celebrate these too! Life isn’t all about striving and trying to make things different than they are. If you don’t stop to look at how far you’ve come and take time to clap for yourself - what’s the point? STOP AND SMELL THE ROSES! They are worth it. More importantly, YOU are worth it.
4. Schedule your rest days.
Often, when I’m training someone and they aren’t seeing the results they would like, I ask if they’re honoring their rest time. Taking days to rest and recover are just as important as your training days. Think of it this way- what would happen if you held your arm in a bicep curl without releasing it back down? That muscle would get weakened and tight, likely causing injury throughout your arm. When you reverse the motion, that’s where the magic happens. This goes for your rest days too. Without time for your body to absorb the work you do, it will constantly be running on empty, depleting your energy and delaying muscle transformation. Take a day or two to enjoy your life! You can’t live inside of a gym all the time.
5. Practice gratitude.
Whenever I start to get critical about my body, I remember that I’m blessed to be able to move it, let off some steam and express myself through movement. Say thank you to your body for all that it does, everywhere that it takes you and how it performs functions without you even asking. Find an activity that you love doing, walking the dog, painting, spin class, whatever it is - think about how good you feel when you get to do it. Think about how lucky you are to experience it, I guarantee you’ll look at it differently.
6. Ditch the all-or-nothing mentality.
Life isn’t black and white. Your workout schedule isn’t either. You didn’t ruin your entire week because you ate something you liked - that’s no way to go through life. One workout isn’t going to change your entire body, so missing one won’t make a difference either. Letting go of this mentality spells one thing: FREEDOM.
Life is about more than smashing goals. While it’s great to see how far you’ve come, it’s also about the process. Your body represents so much more than what you look like, it’s a fine-tuned machine that can do amazing things. When you’re working out, you’re using the gift of your body to be healthy and feel great. Instead of seeing exercise as a job you need to do, can you shift your mindset? Can you be in awe of the way you’re able to move and see the beauty in yourself just as you are? This is where you can enjoy your workouts while understanding how powerful they can be for your overall well-being. Focus on working out to feel good and to learn what your body can do for you; I promise the reward will be yours.
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