I used to workout because it's what I thought I needed to do to keep my body thin. Over the years I've committed myself to various types of workouts for this reason. However, I always thought I was working out for my health. Now I know that isn't true. It was actually about 95% vanity and only about 5% for my health.
I used to waste so much of my time and energy going to the gym. I use the word 'waste' because waste my time and energy is exactly what I did! Over the years I've spent thousands of hours working out because I was consumed with what my body looked like. For sure all those countless hours could have been used for something way more productive in my life.
The time I gave to cardio was all about counting minutes on the treadmill while consuming over how many calories I was burning. Lifting weights and doing crunches was all about how many repetitions I could do. My mindset was that I had to do these things in order to achieve a desired look. A desired look that I thought made me more attractive. And because of my distorted thinking back then, I also thought 'more attractive' meant worthy. Working out was a chore and I didn't enjoy it. How could I? I couldn't possibly find any enjoyment from it because it was all about achieving an external result.
Today, I can honestly say my commitment to my workout is 100% for my health.
It has nothing, not one single thing, to do with how my body looks. The truth is I have one of those body types that means I'll likely always be thin AND that doesn't necessarily mean I'm healthy. These days moving and challenging my body has nothing to do with maintaining a certain weight or being able to fit into a smaller size. In fact, I never weigh myself and clothing sizes mean nothing to me because each company has their own sizing charts anyway. I could be a size XS in one brand and a size MED in another.
Now I workout to keep my body strong and flexible. I want my body to easily support me as I move through life. I want to feel good as often as I can. Giving my body a good workout ensures I receive a generous boost of feel-good hormones and this, I love! I have no desire to live with the ailments those before lived with as they aged; achy joints, muscle stiffness, huffing and puffing while going up the stairs, and surgeries to keep body parts moving properly. While I know that my healthy, active lifestyle can't guarantee the absence of these from my life, I also know it can most certainly help lessen my chances.
I strive to be as healthy as I can be because I know that my health is my wealth.
Today I adore my body, this fabulous vessel that carries me through life. I am the keeper of this body that I came into the world with. It's my responsibility to care for it as best I can. I know that my choices will either help support it to thrive or, they'll contribute to making it work harder to simply survive.
Working out doesn't feel like a chore anymore because it's no longer a should or a have to do. It's something I enjoy doing because it's fueled by healthy goals and the love that I feel for this body that moves me through life.
So if you're still in the habit of working out to count calories burned or achieve a desired weight goal, I encourage you to shift your thinking. Let working out be something you commit to for your health, not for vanity.
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