Fitness is therapy
What comes to your mind when you think of fitness and the gym? A bunch of fitness models working out and flexing in front of a mirror. That sounds about right.Starting off with an approach where you’re striving to look like a celebrity or a model is fine. But people who workout for these reasons don’t usually last long. Fitness is a lifestyle choice rather than a quick fix that’ll just give you abs for the summer. The more we focus on feeling good rather than looking good, the more likely we are to commit to a healthy journey.
Body movement should not always be hindered with numbers on a scale or plates loaded on a barbell. Associate movement with something that is bigger and deeper instead of just focusing on being able to fit into an old pair of jeans. Reaching your desired body image may even make you feel good from time to time, but such a feeling is very fleeting. With a mindset like that, you’ll always want to go for more and always wish to look better than the previous ‘better’ you had in mind. Leading yourself to an endless journey of disappointment and unhappiness.
Adding consistent workouts to your routine can help you get life-long benefits and will help you reap the following perks that are more than just looking good.
“Appearance is a consequence of fitness”-John Wright
Appearance is not our goal. Our goal is to overcome physical, mental and emotional barriers through exercise. Appearance is not the only end result of being fit.
• Setting up an example for your kids
Fitness is not just about self development but also about motivating others and spreading a positive message to others. Kids tend to imitate their parents. A kid who grows up looking at parents who exercise on a daily basis will try to imitate this and will end up being more inclined to a fitness lifestyle even in the future.
• It can be your drug
We all have endless and inevitable pain in our lives. Some take up smoking while some go for drugs, alcohol, or consumption of a tremendous amount of food when under stress and depression. Ever tried working out through that pain? This approach works because there’s actually some science behind it. When you workout your body releases endorphins which make you happy, eventually curing the pain. You can break stuff too but that would be a workout of it own kind. You don’t even have to rely on sleeping pills. Working out at the end of the day can send you into a sleep slumber.
• Workout for the positive attention
No one in the gym can be more popular than a pregnant woman hitting the biceps machine. This way you’re not just getting a lot of attention but you’re motivating other moms to workout. You’re giving out positive inspiration to those who lack it.
• A relaxed breathing pattern
Almost all forms of exercise, especially yoga put great emphasis on your breathing pattern. A regular and a relaxed breathing pattern will help you relax rather than tense up in a situation of discomfort. This will help you keep calm around your children and establishing healthier relationships with them.
• A sense of accomplishment
Bouncing back to the older you after pregnancy can involve a lot of hard work but once you achieve your fitness goals, you start believing in yourself more. Your sense of self worth doubles and you feel like you can conquer the world. This positivity starts to reflect upon everyone around you making you and your family much more joyous and buoyant.
• Importance of consistency
Working out on a daily basis and smashing your fitness goals will also help you and the members of your family realize the importance of consistency in anything you do in life. Children who understand this importance of being consistent and disciplined to bring about long term changes will tend to be much more successful in anything they do in the future.
• Failure is a part of being successful
When you break though a fitness plateau or a fitness goal which you thought would be impossible to achieve because of the number of times you failed; you realize that failing is necessary in order to succeed. And for achieving anything in life you just need to push through those failures till you actually get there.
You’re on the wrong side of the stick if you’re cancelling your plans just for a workout or a meal. Life isn’t just about working out. It’s about feeling better physically and mentally. It’s about that sense of community when you’re around like minded people motivating each other to be better everyday. And at the end of the day fitness is nothing but therapy and should never be seen as a chore.
