10 Reasons I love to Exercise That Have Nothing to do with Health

I talk to people about why exercise is great for health & weight loss all the day long, and the list of reasons I could give you as to why it is so good for you is quite lengthy. However, many of the reasons why I love to exercise have nothing to do with health.

1. It challenges me. Growing up I was a dancer. I was always working towards achieving different things. Improving specific form, learning new techniques, increasing my skill level, and working toward competitions and performances were what I thrived on. Sadly, dancing isn’t something that I do much of anymore. However, I still love to move my body. I still love to be challenged. I like working toward different athletic goals, improving form, and pushing myself to reach higher levels of achievement.
2. I get to watch all sorts of TV. I’m not really one to sit around and watch TV, and if I do, it is usually the background to me cooking, writing programs, answering emails, etc. When I do my cardio, however, I LOVE watching whatever happens to be catching my eye at the time. Some of my favorites…Parenthood, The Biggest Loser, Scandal, Suits, Gossip Girl, Project Runway…and whatever else has been suggested to me at the time. I don’t feel guilty about it at all because it is time well spent, zoned out, and very stress-relieving.
3. I get to jam to my new music. As you know from my many workout playlists, I LOVE finding new music. It must be the dancer in me, but there are just some songs that get me going. It’s like a breath of energy that is almost inexplicable. For example…anytime I am running and I hear Eminem, Lose Yourself, I am instantly pumped. Tired or not, I feel empowered. Music has that effect on me, and I love it.
4. Working out is social for me. I love doing my cardio on my own time. It is me time. However, I LOVE lifting with others. I spend a lot of time at the gym working out with friends, and it’s really fun to me. I love doing active things with other people like hiking, rollerblading (yep it’s 2015 & I still blade), going for a run, going for a bike ride, or even just a walk. It’s quality time spent together. 
5. It gives me energy. I know, this could fall under the category of “health,” but healthiness aside, when I don’t workout I feel sluggish. Exercise gets me going. Not exercising makes me want to take a nap. Sounds backwards, but for me it’s true.
6. Exercising = Not stressing about food as much. Let it be said first. You CANNOT out exercise a bad diet. I fully, FULLY …F U L L Y….support eating healthy. I am a big fan of a clean, whole foods diet. However, I know that when I am eating well, and working out I don’t have to stress about every single calorie that I eat. Exercise allows for a little buffer/wiggle room. I fully support that. 
7. I get to wear workout clothes & shoes, which happen to be my favorite thing ever. This one speaks for itself.
8. It gives me an excuse to be outside. I love the sun. It warms my soul. I love being outside where I can enjoy the sun. Exercising outdoors gives me a reason to be outside, and I love that. I’m not even mad if I get tan while that is happening either. 🙂  
   
9. It gives me confidence. For the most part, we tend to be really hard on ourselves. It is extremely easy to get drawn into negative self talk about the way we think we look, the way we feel about ourselves, and the way we wish we thought/looked/felt. When I am regularly exercising, I feel better about myself. My confidence in the way I look and feel is increased. I don’t mean it in a prideful way at all. I just know that I feel better about myself when I exercise.
10. It’s fun. I know like %80 of the people out there might not agree with me there, but I have grown to love it. It makes me happy. I love the way it makes me feel, (sometimes not until after, but still.) I love the feeling of accomplishment that comes with checking a daily workout off my list. I like being active. I like trying new activities. I like the endorphins that come from exercise.