We all have our reasons. Here are mine.
1. ENDORPHINES
No one likes to be depressed, but I am someone that really hates having one of those downer days. Through the help of exercise, I have been able to maintain a pretty happy demeanor, balance my stresses, and sweat out unproductive thoughts circulating my brain. There have been many ups and downs in my life, but having an outlet to work through these good and bad moments has been key. Exercise has truly been the greatest therapy.
2. The “Hot Bod”
While getting your sweat on is great for maintaining your sanity, I would be lying if I said, I didn't enjoy the physical fruits of my labor. Pushing your body to new levels of fitness, and seeing physical results is definitely a great motivation. We all want to live a long, healthy and fit life, but looking sexy through those years makes life taste all the sweeter.
3. Confidence
While I would define myself as a pretty confident individual, I wasn't always someone, who had the best confidence. After years of bullying, it was hard to look at myself in the mirror and see someone of high worth. Exercise gifted me with the tools to change that perception.
Through years of hard work, dedication and persistence, I have been able to mold myself into the person I always wanted to be. I now walk down the streets of NYC with my head held high and a smile on my face. Not only do you feel great, but this confidence flows into other aspects of your life: work, dating, family life, the list is endless. There is no better feeling than knowing your mind, body and soul harmoniously align to show the world your best version.
4. Sleep Better
It's been proven that when you exercise, you're able to balance out the chemicals in your body. Having healthy and regular exercising patterns helps your biological clock set itself, and leads to ease in falling asleep and sleeping through the night better. We live in a busy world, and most of us can use as much sleep as we can get. Help yourself; set your natural alarm.
5. Starting/Maintaining Healthy Patterns
In life we tend to fall into patterns. These patterns range from healthy to full-blown dangerous. Professionals say that it takes 30 days to break one pattern, and an additional 30 days to create a new one. I do not know about you, but I much rather fall into a pattern that is productive and supports my life to the fullest. Getting in the habit of exercising, even if for just a small amount of time each day, will help you find the joy and appreciation in not only exercising, but your life as a whole.
6. Helps Create a Schedule
Following the idea of patterns, implementing a regular exercise program into your life assists in creating an overall manageable schedule. It is easy to feel like there is no time for anything, especially when you are not good at managing your own time. I have found that when I have a set time to exercise, my days feel much more manageable, and I'm actually able to fit more into a day than when I just try to rush around. Eliminating stress from your daily life can truly save your life, prevent injuries and allows for a greater sense of ease.
7. Meet New People
While I am someone that prefers to have gym time, be "me time," I have been privileged with meeting some amazing people through fitness. Becoming a trainer at Barry’s Bootcamp NYC has opened my world up to meeting many amazing people, and allowed me to watch friendships develop.
The idea of a team is something we hear about all the time, and goes back to your little league days. There is something incredibly bonding about going through something together, even if that simply means a really hard work out with the devil, aka me for the hour I teach. My bootcampers leave class exhausted, but feeling like they have just been through an experience together that others may not understand. Furthermore, there are a lot of sexy singles that like to take classes, go for runs, or workout at gyms. You never know who you could meet, by making yourself a healthier you, and what that could do.
8. Fit Couples Stay Together
I know not everyone is in a couple, but one day you will be, and you will find that having shared interests and hobbies goes much farther than liking the way the other one looks. By maintaining an active life while you are single, you set yourself up to be someone that is a part of a fit couple. It also physically places you in settings to meet other fit individuals.
Going for hikes, taking classes together and understanding what the other person is going through opens up communication, gives you something productive to talk about, and creates an even stronger bond.
9. Fit Sex is Way More Fun
Yes, I said it.
We're all grown ups here, and if this idea bothers you, I would question your sex life. Lets be honest, no one wants to roll around naked with anything less than 100 percent confidence. This is a lofty goal, but being able to get naked in front of someone you love, or at least really like and feel like the shit is an extremely satisfying feeling.
Through exercise, sex can be way more fun. Stamina is up, endurance is higher and flexibility is better, which all lead to way more fun. As mature adults, sex is meant to be enjoyed. When you feel good about yourself, and have a body that does what you want, a whole new world of nakedness opens up. A healthy sex life is just that healthy, so be smart, be safe, and let the good times roll.
10. Boundaries Get Broken
Pushing your body to new limits, challenging yourself and looking beyond what you know opens new possibilities. When you learn to appreciate yourself, you give yourself more and more gifts to make this life the best life. You're able to see changes, and you question yourself more and more. By implementing healthy patterns into your life, you are able to ask yourself why, push for more, and have higher goals.
We all have different reasons why we decide to do things. Different motivations. Goals and Dreams. Whatever your reasons are for not doing something, the reasons for doing them are probably far greater when it comes to a healthy life.
As cliché as it is, don't wait for tomorrow because it will always be one day away. Even if it just means walking an extra block or two to get home, or doing a quick jog before work, find something to start your exercise habits off that feels obtainable.
Know that results take time, and be patient with yourself. That little bit of pain you feel when pushing your body that much harder is temporary, and the results you will see will feel that much sweeter.
Find your inner hulk, and do the damn thing.
Come learn what sweaty sexy is with me. I teach Barry’s Bootcamp in Chelsea NYC on Monday and Wednesday nights at 7:50PM. Tuesday and Thursday nights at 9PM, and my own Sundays at 3:15 and 5:45. Let me help you become the best you, you can be.
For those who can’t make it to class, I hope I can still be a form of motivation and inspiration. We get sweaty in the gym to look sexy on the streets. We push our bodies to push our minds. We make change today!
Good luck! Remember, “Yes You Can!”