Benefits of Working Out

Benefits of working out may seem pretty obvious to most but it took me a while to figure them out. As you all know, working out is very important to me. But it hasn’t always been important to me. Growing up, I didn’t do any other sports besides cheerleading. And when I did cheerleading, I didn’t put all my effort into it. I mean I was a great backspot but I never took the time to learn how to tumble or anything that was a bit more athletic. Hence, I was the typical ‘lazy teenager’. Never wanting to do anything, except sitting around watching TV, reading a book, or doing homework. When I turned 15, I started a job and that took up most of my free time. If I knew then what I know now about the benefits of working out or being physically active, my life could have been a bit different.

Its the funniest thing because my family was very into sports.

My mom did track and still runs (for fun… haha). My dad did track and basketball. And my older brother did track. Also, my little brother did football, basketball, and track. And my little sister did basketball, wrestling, and track! Then there’s me… cheerleading. So yeah, you would think that being into fitness and sports would be in my blood but I think it missed me… I mean I even hated gym class. I am not as coordinated as the rest of my family.

But now, at almost 30 years old, I am the healthiest, happiest, and in the best shape that I have ever been in! It took time and a LOT of patience. But working out has been extremely beneficial for me. The benefits of working out seem obvious to some but I know at first, I didn’t think these would help me BUT they really, really do! One HUGE reason why I love to work out is because my kids are watching. I want them to grow up to love physical activity as much as I do now.

Benefits of Working Out

• Lose Weight
• Better Mental Health
• Increased Confidence
• Increased Energy

Lose Weight

So everyone knows, if you work out, it can help you lose weight. You may gain some muscle which is weight but that fat loss will come first! Who doesn’t want to lose that stubborn fat? I know that was the one of my top reasons to start working out. I was a few months out from having Jackson and my tummy still looked like I was pregnant. It was not fun for me. I was naturally a thin child/teen so it was hard to see this.

Working out has increased my overall strength AND I don’t get winded walking up flights of stairs as badly as I used to. On my third cruise, we were on deck 1 and the fitness center was on deck 12. So my warm up would be taking those 12 flights of stairs ALL the way up and my cool down would be taking them all the way back down! On my first cruise, I know I could not have done that. Well, I was pregnant during that cruise. Haha!

Another great thing about working out is it can lower your risk of certain diseases, like diabetes and heart disease. A few years ago, my dad found out he has diabetes. He took the steps to change what he was eating and started being more active and he has been able to manage it which is amazing. His mother, my grandmother, died from diabetes, so I know that is his motivation!

Better Mental Health

Mental health has been something I struggled with for what feels like my whole life. One of my biggest issues is depression and anxiety. I tried being on antidepressants but they did not help. Truth is, they made me feel 100 times WORSE. So, after trying one a month after having my son (and feeling like I wanted to run away), I decided no more pills for me. But I knew that meant I needed to do something.

It took a few months to get into the flow but once I did, it helped SO much! I will be completely honest, rest days still tend to be hard for me. I try to take more of an active rest, do yoga or take the kids somewhere. In the summers, I change up my exercises and take the kids for a bike ride or a walk to the park. Winters are hard so I make sure to do a bit something on my rest days so I don’t get too depressed with the lack of sunlight and fresh air.

Increased Confidence

This one took a while for me and sometimes I still struggle with it. I have extra skin since having kids. It is something I know will not go away. I have been slowly accepting of this extra skin!

However, my confidence overall has improved so much since I started working out. I feel better about myself. I think a good sweaty workout helps because it shows how hard I worked! And hard works PAYS OFF!

Increased Energy

I love coffee and yes it does give me energy. However, I feel increased energy after working out! This benefit of working out has been HUGE for me as a stay at home mom. How many of us are SPENT by the time it hits 2pm? Well, if I workout in the late morning or early afternoon, my energy increases and I do not need coffee to get me to bedtime! And sleeping has been so much better since working out!

Bonus Benefit: Socializing

If you workout at the gym, this is definitely a benefit to working out. Being able to talk to others, cheer them on, and get that same motivation back is wonderful. I am not the most outgoing person. I would rather keep to myself BUT something about working out and feeling good has pushed me to be more outgoing. When I go to the gym, I only take classes. These classes help build my strength and also my confidence with talking to others. I have a few gym buddies who take the same classes as me and it is nice to chat in between sets about life and the workout its self. haha

If you workout, is there one of these benefits of working out that keeps you motivated? Or is it something completely different for you?