15 year old me not being too happy
Although I initially started my fitness journey with the hopes of gaining muscle and transforming my body I quickly realized the profound positive effects that it had on my mental state. It was a form of relief, like a large weight had been taken off my chest, even though it usually involved lifting heavy weights until failure. Unfortunately, I feel It has become difficult for people to see the many other positive effects of exercise that have nothing to do with looks or muscles. Social media is blowing up with never ending photoshopped pictures, giving people unrealistic expectations that turn into unhealthy diets and supplements, potentially causing a long list of issues. Here is the main reason I workout that has nothing to do with aesthetics.
I enjoy what I can do with my body now that exercise has changed my mind
NEGATIVE THOUGHTS. You can call this anger, sadness, depression, frustration, anxiety or all of them. Personally, for me, anger comes from my negative thoughts. It was how I used to cope with things that happened in my life, that at the time I had no idea how to handle. From being diagnosed manic depressive/adhd as a child I always struggled to find a balance in my emotions. When I found weight training specifically, I also found the only therapy that seemed to work. Talking to counselors never helped, taking medication that had tons of side effects only made things worse. Medicine keeps getting thrown at kids rather than showing them tools like exercise to channel their energy and emotions they might be working through. This same concept applies to adults dealing with all the stresses of just being alive. It is so important to take that time for yourself, not just for your looks but for your mind. There are so many studies available showing the proven mental health benefits of regular exercise.
This is how I apply my exercise to work through my emotions: I use my negative thoughts as fuel during my workout. When I am in the middle of a set, pushing myself and I get to that point where I don’t think I can continue, I think of something in my past that still effects me. I push through it physically with the exercise, and mentally with my mind. Everyone has things that pop up randomly during the day that might bring them down. These are the things that I want you to focus your mind on when exercising and truly feel how strong you are. THIS WORKS. I hope you find the courage to give it a try. Let me know how it goes for you!
This business is to assist people in seeing their true potential inside their mind, heart and of course their body. Look past simple things like looks and make it a priority to care for yourself. To build confidence in the amazing human being that you are. You truly deserve to feel just as great as you are and exercising is something that can help you achieve this. I’m always here to help!