I work out a lot. When I started 5 years ago I had no idea it would become as important to me as it is or how much it would change my life. Today, however, I can say without hesitation that being healthy is a top 5 for me. My list of "top" priorities has been a focus for me lately and this has always made the cut.
It started because I was fat. Not ridiculously so, but teetering on the technically overweight line and I was purchasing larger pants sizes. My mom, meanwhile, was losing weight and wearing jeans from my high school years. Not cool, mom. Not cool.
So I started walking to work, which equated to about two miles a day. Then I got a treadmill and started walking on it in the morning before work and doing a yoga video afterwards. Then running on that treadmill a mile or two. Then the miles increased and the videos got more intense until I was eventually running long runs with Danielle as she trained for her first marathon.
It started because I was fat but it kept going for so much more.
I gained self-confidence, not just from the shrinking waistline but as I started to care less about what other people thought. Running down the street all sweaty, hair flying everywhere, most likely with terrible form but eventually not caring what people thought about it did wonders for how I felt all day. If I didn't care how I looked in the mornings as I logged the miles, it made no sense to care when I was showered and dressed. It didn't matter what others thought, anyway.
I gained a love for healthy food and feeling amazing—you don’t realize you are missing out until you experience it. I gained energy. I learned healthier approaches to food and exercise. I read nutrition books and formed educated opinions as opposed to following the current or popular nutrition trends of the internet and media.
I gained a desire to improve my life in other ways; going more minimal, being more eco-friendly, becoming more involved, being more organized, being more intentional (the theme of this blog). With meals improving, my cooking improved. While taking care of myself is important I wanted to take care of other things, too. I started making meals for my dogs (yeah, I'm that girl), recycling more, buying from specific stores or companies. I started joining more clubs and filling my time with things more important than the Gilmore Girls.
I gained a best friend in Danielle, with a sweaty, 20-miler bond that can’t be explained to anyone but other runners with running partner. A friendship that can't be replicated or replaced by another running partner. A friendship that can last a lifetime because, no matter the schedule or who we are with, we can always squeeze in a run together.
I have been questioned if I work out too hard. As we struggle with our desire for a child I am often asked if running could be a culprit. When I was first losing weight, particularly at my lowest weight, people were concerned I wasn't eating enough. I would like to confirm right now that athleticism has done nothing but positive things for me and that I have always been well within a healthy weight. Not only those listed above, but with a family history riddled with heart disease, diabetes and cancer, I am decreasing my risk of being sick every morning I head out the door in bright colored shoes. While I work out a lot, I am most definitely not over-doing it… my body fat percentage would confirm that as well as a few other medical reasons I don’t need to share here. If I had been working out to the pint of hurting our chances of conceiving, it would have ended.
i do have to point out that you told a wee little lie earlier...you said you sweat when you run....false. i have not seen a drop of sweat come off you yet while running!
ReplyDeletep.s. love this post :)