My parents met at a swim workout, and now they’ve been married for over 30 years. They had both been swimming with a Masters team, and they met at an early morning swim workout. I think if you fall in love at 5:30 in the morning with a swim cap on and no makeup, you know you’ve got something special going. 😉
Because fitness is obviously a big part of my parents’ lives, it’s always been part of mine.
I was obsessed with calories (OBSESSED!) in my late teenage years. I loved the calorie-counter on the elliptical machine at my college gym. (Never mind that it’s TOTALLY not accurate, but whatever. I loved it.) That was probably the unhealthiest stage of my life. My fitness was about nothing but making sure I burned lots of calories. I could care less about strength training….I wanted all the cardio.
I also had the stage of life where fitness was about competition. I had the privilege of swimming competitively in college. The point of workouts then was to get faster to beat the competition, score points for our team, and win the meet. I loved the early morning workouts and long hours of yardage in the afternoons and the weight lifting sessions because I was thinking about beating that certain team at the conference meet.
But now, at my current stage of adult life, I’m doing fitness as a means of mental health and happiness. I’m more aware of how my mood and spirituality is affected by how often I stretch my muscles and get my heart rate moving. More than ever, I’m using fitness as my “me time.” (<- I never understood people who said that until my life got crazy enough for me to really struggle to find time to relax and unwind. Now it makes sense. Ya feel me?)
My 2 Favorite Workouts Right Now
- I’m LOVING barre! I’ve been mildly obsessed with The Barre Code lately. After years of hearing people rave about barre workouts, I tried it for myself. OH MY GOSH, everyone was right! I’m starting to see results after just a few weeks, and it’s one of the hardest workouts I’ve ever done. I just LOVE the empowerment I feel after a class! (<- I typed that and realized it sounds like the most cliché workout brochure, but it’s the best way I can think to describe the post-class glow right now.) I just feel strong after I take a barre class, and I like that.
2. I still love yoga! Like I said, fitness is more for mental health than anything right now, ha! Yoga reminds me to stand tall and breath. It reminds me to notice my feelings, but not let them control me. I love the way I feel more centered after a yoga class .
Like I’ve mentioned before, life has been a bit bonkers over at our home! One of the many (ugh, too many) things going on is that my car decided to die…..#byecar. And then, just a few days later, Nate’s car starting acting up, too! So within a few days we went from being a 2 car family, to a 1 car family, to a zero car family!
I spent 5 hours at a car dealership yesterday test-driving my top choices. I currently have a loaner car from the dealership sitting outside on my driveway while I make my final decision. Since that took up my free time during the day, I woke up at 5:30 to take a barre class before work. I’ve never been a HUGE fan of early morning workouts (even in my college swimming years), but I’m now to the point where I feel thankful for that time that I can take for myself before the day gets started.
What about you? What are your current reasons for working out? They definitely change with the seasons of life!
Wishing you the happiest Wednesday, friend!
Kelsey
I didn’t start working out until college and more seriously after college. Now, working out is all about health, strength, and vanity. It feels great accomplishing a workout, especially when you know it’s also good for your body. And when that six-pack comes along, I won’t be mad about that either. 😉 I LOVE cardio. HIIT workouts like boot camps and spin class are my favorites!