WHAT EXERCISE MEANS TO ME

I am alive! I’ve been sitting around for the last three weeks hoping I would feel inspired to write a blog post that at least was somewhat meaningful or inspiring or informative, or something, or a new topic for me! However, that hasn’t really happened. So now, I’m just going to start writing and hope something comes to me. 

So, let’s see how this goes. 

What exercise means to me

I’ve always loved exercise, since I was young. When I was a gymnast as a child, my favorite part was the conditioning aspect of training. I loved the presidential fitness test in fifth grade. I could do a pull up, it made me feel strong. Then as I got older; and started having some pretty big struggles I got away from exercise. I didn’t feel capable. I didn’t feel like there was a purpose to things. During that time, which was probably the most difficult of my life, everything I was going through felt insurmountable. Upon getting some much needed help and guidance, I was able to make exercise a part of my life again. I even moved right next to Gold's Gym in college, further away from campus, just so I could easily get to the gym everyday!

Flash forward to my second year of college and someone told me about CrossFit. I briefly saw the CrossFit Games on ESPN, and knew that was what I wanted to do. I was so scared however, of not being good enough that for the next several months I literally became obsessed with it without ever actually trying it. I watched countless videos; I saw people competing, and thus my dream to compete in the sport was born. I talked about it all the time, which was pretty strange having never done it. 

For my birthday, my parents set up a time for me go to try it out. I almost had a panic attack on the way there, and nearly backed out. My dad recalls that being the most stressful car ride of his life. I was SO petrified that I wouldn’t measure up. After all, I wasn’t like those girls I saw in the videos I had been watching. However, somehow I managed to go. I loved it, and the rest is history. I realized you don’t have to be an elite athlete trying a sport for the first time. Who knew! And over the past five years, I’ve grown with the sport. It seems that reaching new levels of my fitness is correlated to reaching new levels in my mental health. 

I love exercise and CrossFit; and, there are so many reasons why. So maybe I will just focus on one for today. 

CrossFit makes me feel strong and empowered.

I’ve noticed since recovering from my injury that emotionally I feel unable to handle things. I get upset easily. I’m irritable. The fears I have seem to be magnified. I feel stuck to take the next step in certain things that will help me live more of the life I want. Which is probably why I have no new blog ideas. And some of this is just par for the course when you’re injured and can’t pursue your passion at level you want to. But, I think that physically not being able to lift weights has made me feel emotionally weaker. The physical, mental, emotional are all so connected. When I feel physically strong, and I have the opportunity to express that on a daily basis, it helps me feel much more capable to conquer my struggles. 

As someone who believed growing up that she’d always be weak and dependent; weightlifting, powerlifting and CrossFit helped me see that didn’t have to be my life. And I know I’m not the only one who has experienced this. I see people in the gym all the time, that are blown away by doing something they never thought they were capable of. It empowers them. I know that this experience not only increases their motivation to return to the gym, but encourages progress in their personal life. I wouldn’t be surprised if outside of their workouts, they are also achieving things they didn’t think they could. Using our bodies to express strength and courage awakens the potential in our minds. Oftentimes, dealing with a slew of emotions that come with this effort, including pure joy, sadness, frustration, disappointment, etc., is honestly the biggest example that I have ever found to show us that we are capable of reaching our dreams and doing what we want in life. 

So, what is the point of this little post? I know a lot of people struggle to want to exercise. It feels hard. It feels like a chore. It’s uncomfortable. It impacts their schedule, etc. And I just encourage you to give it a try and be consistent. While my number one recommendation is CrossFit, give any form a try! While the first few weeks might be a challenge, after that it becomes more of a routine, and the benefits start to outweigh the sacrifice. 

I’d say my number one suggestion when starting an exercise routine is that no matter what it is, make it something where you can set a goal and see progress. A lot of people who struggle with exercise envision themselves running on the elliptical day after day; same speed, same torturous hour. And while this is certainly better than nothing, it doesn’t exactly make you feel motivated, or like you getting anywhere. You are literally running in place. 

And as people, we like goals. We like to see progress and improvement. We like to feel like the time we are putting into something is actually worthwhile, otherwise why do it at all? I mean, how many times do we start a diet, and after not seeing the scale move for like three days, we give up? We like our effort to yield benefits; and that’s the great thing about CrossFit and related weight lifting fields. You have the opportunity to see progress everyday. It's not that you hit huge personal records on a daily basis, or even that you have a good workout; it is that you are getting through something truly difficult. You might be trying new skills regularly. You are constantly working towards a driving goal to evolve and become better. This concept can make you fall in the love with exercise. While the journey isn’t easy, the reward you experience will make it feel more worth it. Perhaps you’re a runner, not interested in lifting weights, the same can apply. Setting marathon time goals, or trying a new distance, etc. can have the same motivating effect. 

I don’t believe the notion that exercise necessarily has to be a chore as is widely accepted. I think this feeling is a combination of a societal belief, and people not knowing that exercise can feel worthwhile, motivational, and helpful in their lives. But take it from me, I struggled so immensely. I wanted to give up for many many years. Having the opportunity to find a way to physically feel strong, and thus overcome obstacles, has changed my life. While CrossFit is my passion and others may have one that is vastly different, making exercise goals a part of their daily routine will enhance their ability to successfully execute what they are passionate about. I whole heartedly believe this. Taking care of our physical health, and setting goals in this endeavor, is what I truly know will give us the mental and emotional capacity to do whatever we want in life.