Finding Exercise That You *Actually* Enjoy

Do you dread the thought of working out? Is the reason you exercise just in the hopes that your body will change and you’ll go down a pants size?

Yup, I was there too, but not anymore! Exercise is so often looked at as punishment for the foods we eat or the way our body looks. Instead, exercise should be something that we enjoy and celebrate!

There are so many other benefits to exercising other than just the physical benefits. We’re going to get into those benefits, why exercise should never be looked at as punishment, and how to find movement that you actually enjoy.

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It’s Not Just Physical

A lot of people who exercise do it for the physical benefits. Going on runs, crazy HIIT workouts, and 2-hour cardio sessions are usually done in the hopes of trying to make your body smaller or stronger.

It’s not always a bad thing to exercise to change your outward appearance. When that becomes the only reason you’re exercising and makes you dread your workouts, that’s when it could become a problem.

I used to exercise JUST to change the look of my body. When I was still a dance major, I remember going to ballet class in the morning and coming back to my apartment to do a Blogilates HIIT workout because I didn’t think that dancing was “enough.” This is also the time when I didn’t have my period, so we can see how that ended up working out for me.

Of course, exercise is a great way to improve your physical health, but it can also be equally as important for your mental health.

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Mental Benefits

Exercise provides so many mental benefits that are often overlooked. It can improve your sleep, reduce anxiety, boost your mood, and be a great form of stress relief. Just 30 minutes of movement a day can show these amazing life improvements.

I’ve noticed that when I do workout, my sleep is much better. I generally am in a better mood and feel more energized. These benefits don’t have anything to do with the way my body looks.

If you struggle with feeling sluggish, have poor sleep, or just need an overall mood boost, exercise may be a great option! I’m going to get into this more in a little bit, but exercise doesn’t always have to mean going to the gym. It can be going for a walk, practicing yoga, or swimming. Anything you enjoy!

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Exercise is Not a Punishment

Have you ever seen those Instagram graphics where they say how long you have to work out in order to “burn off” the food you ate? I cannot stand that.

Food is energy! Calories are not the devil. They are the fuel your body needs in order to do basic functions such as breath, type your homework, or just lay in bed. Did you know that most of the calories you burn in a day are due to those basic human functions and not the intense exercise you did? You can read more about why I no longer count calories, here.

When exercise starts to be looked at as punishment, that is when an unhealthy relationship can form. Seeing all the misinformation on social media can lead us to believe that we need to compensate for the food we eat with exercise in order to not gain weight. We should be working out for the mental benefits and to feel strong, not to be “skinny.”

I used to think of exercise as punishment and would do an intense workout if I ate something unhealthy. Once I stopped getting my period due to low body weight and high amounts of exercise, I knew something had to be done. I decided to cut out all exercise for almost 5 months.

Now, I exercise for enjoyment instead of changing my body. I no longer feel the need to do a HIIT workout every day or multiple workouts per day. Sometimes I walk, while other days my body is craving more of an intense workout. But it’s not because I’m punishing myself, it’s because I want to do it.

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Find Joyful Movement

I like to use the word “movement” instead of “exercise.” I feel like when you say “exercise,” it leads to the intimidating thoughts of a big gym or an hour long cardio workout.

Movement on the other hand can be exercise, but it can really be anything that moves your body in a healthy way and makes you feel good on the inside. Something that you don’t dread doing and makes you excited to get out of bed in the morning.

I don’t have a specific workout schedule that I follow on a day-to-day or weekly basis. There’s not a certain amount of days I need to workout per week or specific days where I rest. I really try to just do what makes my body feel good and what it’s craving.

At the moment, I have really been enjoying going for runs, walks, practicing yoga, and maybe 1-2 HIIT workouts per week. Again, it really depends on what my body wants.

If you want to get into exercising or moving your body, but the thought of going to a gym terrifies you, here are some forms of movement that are amazing for your body and can be done anywhere:

• Running or walking
• Barre
• Pilates
• Yoga
• Hiking
• Swimming
• Bike-riding
• Roller blading
• Dancing
• Boxing

There are so many more ways to move your body besides those, but that’s just something to get you started! Youtube has amazing videos for barre, pilates, and yoga that are great to follow along to for beginners to advanced.

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Don’t Forget to Rest

Now that we’ve established some healthy ways to move your body, let’s chat about rest. Rest is so underrated, but one of the most important aspects of exercise.

No one should be working out 7 days a week. At the bare minimum, you need at least one day per week where you aren’t doing a structured exercise. Why is that?

When you’re working out, your muscles and all the little fibers in them are constantly breaking down. Your muscles needs a day to repair, rest, and not get fatigued.

A rest day doesn’t mean you have to lay on the couch all day and not move your body at all (but if that’s what you want to do, then there’s nothing wrong with that). Personally, my body and mind feel so much better when I move it in some way every day.

If I wake up and my body feels tired or sore, I know I need a rest day. Instead of being completely sedentary all day, I’ll usually do a gentle yoga flow or go for a walk. That way, I’m not breaking down and straining my muscles, but am still getting the benefits of moving my body.

Active rest days are great to still give your body a break, but also allowing it to get some movement and those mental benefits that are so important, especially nowadays.

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I hope that reading this has inspired you to find movement that you enjoy. I promise you, there’s a workout or form of movement out there for everyone. If exercising seems like the biggest chore in the world, you just haven’t found your movement yet.

I encourage you to try out some of the suggestions I listed out to see if any of them work for you. Moving your body is a trial and error process. Some you’ll love, and some you’re absolutely going to hate…and that’s okay!

Remember to move your body, enjoy your life, and know that the exercise you do and the foods you eat don’t define you. You’re so much more than your workouts.

xoxo

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