The Daily Vitamin...

It’s a big world out there and scary, intimidating people come with the territory, but good thing for home gyms am I righttt? Ok, but in all honesty fitness is a world of its own and I am a mere ant compared to most. But, I am no stranger to the benefit, enjoyment, and true willpower it can provide. There is such a wide array of things to profit, and so many different ways that we can use movement to improve ourselves physically and mentally. By Google's definition, working out means, “a session of vigorous physical exercise or training.” Incorporating physical activity into my life has improved my self-confidence, mental health, and has caused me to push myself. It has caused me to learn how to mentally move past the thoughts that tell me I can’t. Different workouts target different muscle groups, yet all forms of physical activity target our stamina and willpower. There are three types of physical activity: aerobic, flexibility, and strength. Each one leaves your body tired yet rejuvenated.

Let’s Look Back

Now, as many of you know, I danced and because of that learned Yoga, Pilates, and several other forms of that good, deep burning. I was always a small child and before I started taking dance seriously, I would politely consider myself a humble couch potato whose goal was to eat more than my brothers. Thank the Lord for a good metabolism back then! My sister would work out and I would sit next to her eating snacks on the nights I didn’t have class. And like most younger humans who want to start working out, I would do ten sit-ups and four squats and watch three shows then call it a night! But, I had no goal and no solid drive; I only did it because I saw my family doing it. It wasn’t until I was older that I found that spark. My sister had worked out for years and I always wanted to do it with her, but again in 2020 (that was a big growing year for me) we decided to go through an eight-week eBook by Sarahs_Day (Highly recommend!) We were in different states when we started it but we motivated each other by sending Snapchats of when we finished the workout and we would compare heart rates. Later, when I came back to Kauai, we finished it and started the second eBook. Since then I have learned that yes, I want my physical body to look good, and I still struggle with that, but more than that, it has become my lifestyle and a daily vitamin. It is something I need to help my brain function.

The Workouts

Ok, well I could go on and on about different types and the way each one will kill you and so on, but I’ll only hit the highlights. I am not a workout coach by any means! I wish I was able to be that cool to make up my own workout plans, unfortunately, I am not there yet. I follow Sarahs_Day's eBooks as I said earlier and will look up other free classes on YouTube. The most common I choose from are Madfit, Move with Nicol (Pilates and yoga), and Whitney Simmons. As I have learned, it is important to switch up our workouts to shock the muscles and make sure they aren’t becoming used to one certain movement. Running is another one that I incorporate now and then. I never used to run because I had shin splints plus bad knees and ankles, but after I stopped dancing so vigorously, I started to train myself. It is a true art to learn how to run, let me tell you! If you are not a natural runner, like me, completing a run makes you feel so energized and empowered. Even a good fast-paced walk will get the heart up and cause a nice sweat to form which helps motivation. It’s fascinating the different types of workouts and which muscle groups they work and how each one supports the body differently. The slow burners for me get the deep muscles like the abdominals. Cardio works on stamina and toning fat while growing your brain, making you feel more capable than you thought. And weight training can build and tone your muscles causing you to feel strong, confident, and comfortable in your skin. Not all workouts need to be hours long either. I normally workout for 30 minutes, typically four to five days a week - but it always varies.

The Reason For The Drive

Yes, everyone wants to look good and not feel insecure about their bodies. That is a good motivator if you are just starting or looking for a personal change, but it is not the best motivator for a lifestyle change. Bodies are constantly fluctuating so weight and muscles continually shift. So if we are using that as our motivation we will often find ourselves being disappointed and creating unhealthy obsessions and goals for ourselves. If we look at working out for our own mental and physical longevity it will be easier to be excited to workout. You don’t always need to go to a gym, they can be expensive, and what works for some people may not work for others. Find the workout that fits best for you, but don’t be afraid to step out and try something you haven’t before. I know firsthand that exercise is a huge help to depression, sleep, motivation, the change in eating habits, and confidence. I can always tell the times that I start worrying about how my body looks and start to look at my physical activity strictly for my physique because, anytime my body will shift or I eat something that isn’t in my normal routine, I beat myself up over it. But, when I work out and eat healthy without worrying, that’s when I feel the best about myself. God created our bodies and it is our job to take care of them. Although sometimes movement doesn't seem appealing, after we push past that mental block it opens up a new door and makes us feel so much better about ourselves. However, it is important to let our bodies rest and to listen to what our body is telling us. It is easy to go hard and become burnt out or overwork your muscles. If you are just starting in the movement lifestyle, it is ok to start slow and ease into it. It’s better to build a realistic path than one that causes us to feel overwhelmed.

The Internal Struggle

Like I’ve been saying, we should be making this a lifestyle. I know that it can be hard to find motivation, especially when you work out alone, and it can be hard to find the confidence to put yourself out there. For me, the struggle is understanding that sometimes our routines get interrupted and if I can’t work out on my designated day, it is ok. If I am on a trip, I want to try my best to maintain my normal eating and physical activity, but more importantly, I want to enjoy myself and eat things that I think are yummy - without the guilt (working on that still but who isn’t?) Not overthinking about not rolling out my mat for a week. If my body loses some of my definition, oh well. To be truthfully honest, only you, yourself, would probably notice, and if someone does, it’s not any of their business! But, after our break, it’s important to fall back into the normal routine and not let ourselves backslide. Honestly, once we workout and eat all-natural, wholesome foods for a while we begin to crave them! If I’m gone and can’t work out or eat my daily veggies, I get excited for when I am finally able to once again. That’s when you know you’ve been doing something right! You aren’t feeling guilty for missing out, you're craving it.

The World of Comparison

Oh, what a world we live in where we can see everyone for face value. No one knows what is going on behind a smile or body picture. The person we compare ourselves to could be comparing themself to us. No one knows. Entering the lifestyle of fitness is no easy task especially if we are doing it alone, it can be overwhelming, but the more we do it the more our confidence will build and the better we will feel in our bodies both mentally and physically. It is important to note, however, that although our body image shouldn’t be our number one goal, it is a great feeling to see progress and to feel strong and comfortable in our own skin. But, with that, it is important to note that each body is made different and some are genetically more thin or able to show more muscle while others take a little longer to find what works for them. We should all find what we enjoy to be active and what works for our body type. If we discover that we hate the workouts that we’ve been trying, try something new. It won’t help mentally if we are coming out of our workouts discouraged and unhappy!

Enjoy The Lifestyle

Look at working out as a daily vitamin. It’s not always about calories (although I do find it fun to track), but it’s the joy of taking care of ourselves and knowing that we are working toward a better future. The more we maintain our fitness the less likely we will be prone to injury and the better we will feel when we are older. Whether we are walking, using weights, swimming, dancing, doing Tai Chi, surfing, stretching, doing HIIT, or boxing we are supporting our bodies and growing our confidence. It helps our inside as well as our outside. Going to a gym, a studio, being blessed with a home gym, or finding a random spot in our yard, there is no reason why we can’t find the time. Even if it’s a goal of doing some form of movement three days a week. We are so blessed to have YouTube right at our fingertips because we have the ability to find a variety of different classes we could do from anywhere.

Look at this as your encouragement to move your body in some way today! When I began working out with my sister, I looked at it as a competition, and although we don’t work out together that often, I still find myself competing with myself trying to push harder than I did the day before. It clears my brain and relieves my stress, even if I cry the whole way through - I finish feeling better. I hope you feel inspired, and I hope you have a great rest of your week! Don’t forget to add your email and subscribe, and please feel free to share if you enjoy reading these posts! You Allie-Cats are amazing, thanks for following along!

• Dru Allie