I used to be so hard core about going to the gym. I was there, rain or shine. I had to remind myself to take a rest day after realizing that I had worked out for 14 days straight. Working out was embedded into my schedule and my soul.
Oh how things have changed.
Granted, I wasn’t at my healthiest (just my skinniest) when working out was such a high priority. It’s just not healthy to become a recluse or cancel plans with friends (repeatedly) so you can work out every. single. day. of. the. week.
My mindset is healthier now. I’m definitely less obsessive about it. But sometimes, I drift to the other side. Even though I work out pretty consistently 4-6 times a week, I’m not as gung-ho about working out as I used to be. I’m pretty darn talented at finding reason after reason to NOT workout. I am the queen of working out excuses, let me tell ya.
It seems like for every one reason I can think of to workout, I can think of five more reasons not to work out.
EVERYONE needs a little inspiration now and then.
My favorite time suck, the Internet, has a wealth of information to inspire you to work out. To help encourage me to stick with my fitness goals, I created a list — a list of reasons to work out. Jay had 99 problems. Well I have 101 reasons.
Here are my 101 reasons to workout…
compiled from various sources, for my own selfish purposes, but for your use as well.
- …to battle depression
- …to feel sexy
- …to stay healthy
- …for the kids
- …to achieve new goals
- …to feel happier
- …to build stamina
- ...to have you cake and eat it too
- …because of swimsuit season
- …because some jerks expects you to quit
- …to get strong
- …to feel good about yourself
- …to feel good when you run into old friends
- …to succeed in life
- …to have the dream life
- …going to the gym is fun
- …because of the opposite sex
- …to increase testosterone, which gives you energy and stamina
- …to increase clarity and concentration
- …for reflection
- …for enjoyment
- …for cleansing
- …for better sleep
- …for longer life
- …to relieve stress
- …for superior strength and endurance
- …for self confidence
- …to keep excess pounds at bay
- …to increase your stamina
- …to ward off viral illness
- …to manage chronic conditions
- …to strengthen your heart
- …to keep your arteries clear
- …to reverse the detrimental effects of stress
- …to improve learning
- …to build self-esteem and improve body image
- …for that euphoric feeling
- …to reduce the risk of disease
- …to relieve tension headaches
- …to reduce risk of heart disease
- …to control blood pressure
- …to help you to relax
- …to reduce anxiety
- …to overcome jet lag
- …to boost creativity
- …to lower your resting heart rate
- …to increase your anaerobic threshold
- …to preserve lean body tissue
- ..for more energy to meet the demands of your life
- …to improve posture
- …to maintain your resting metabolic rate
- …to increase your ability to adapt to cold environments
- …to improve mental alertness
- …to burn excess calories
- …to improve mental cognition
- …to improve flexibility
- …to decrease your appetite
- …to improve your balance and coordination
- …to improve your body’s ability to use fat for energy
- …to improve your decision making abilities
- …to make you heart more efficient
- …to improve your mood
- …reduces the risk of endometriosis
- …to increase your level of health awareness
- …to reduce your level of abdominal obesity
- …to improve your overal quality of life
- …to feel good in your clothes
- …to improve sex life
- …to help you look younger
- …increases motivation
- …to tone the back of the arms
- …for therapeutic benefits
- …to make your hair shinier and healthier
- …to help you be more content with yourself
- …to increase strength in legs
- …to deal with life’s problems more effectively
- …to encourage you to eat healthy foods
- …to keep skin clear
- …to reduce body fat in hips
- …to give your face a healthy glow
- …to ease period cramps
- …to become more socially interactive
- …to lift and firm buttocks
- …to dramatically improve your body shape
- …to tone inner thighs
- …to improve discipline
- …to help you look and feel ten times better
- …to prevent vericose veins
- …to spend quality time with your family/friends
- …to help you cope better with child birth
- …to combat fatigue
- …for the sense of accomplishment
- …because getting undressed is more fun with you’re in shape
- …because shopping for clothes is more fun when you regularly exercise
- …to increase mindfulness of what you eat
- …for a sense of empowerment
- …so you can eat more of the things you love
- …so you can be proud of the choices you’ve made for your health
- …to stay limber longer
- …to meet your fitness goals
- …because working out is fun
So the next time I (or you) mull over reason after reason to not workout, I’ll simply pick out the reason(s) that resonate most with me and get my butt to the gym (barring all the reasons that you should
And I’m going to need it, now that I’ve embarked on The New Rules of Weightlifting for Women, which at minimum is a 6 month training.
The plan intends for you to do three weightlifting sessions a week and also includes a dietary plan, that I plan to use as a guideline, not as a hard rule. The first month (Stage 1) doesn’t want me to really change my eating. So besides avoiding added sugar for my month long sugar detox, I won’t be changing it up much.
So far, I have completed a week and I’m feeling pretty good about it. I’ve learned that I really need to work out in the morning, else it’s just not going to happen. Coming to terms with this has made me more successful this week with my workouts.
I’m still debating in my head whether I want to post progress photos and measurements. I’m not really into weighing myself right now, so that’s not even an option. But measurements, in my opinion, are the best ways to tell if you’re making progress and changing your body.
Of course, if you guys really want me to post this stuff, you know I’m a sucker for giving readers what they want. Just ask.
What’s your reason(s) for working out?