I asked ten ladies about their relationship with exercise and got some interesting and motivating responses. The ladies I chose to interview all participated in exercise to some degree. Most of them exercised every day or every other day, while a couple of them only exercised a few of times a month.
Exercise gave many of these women a sense of satisfaction in every aspect of their lives. Not only did they gain confidence as they accomplished difficult exercise moves, they felt confident in relationships in both their personal lives as well as their careers.
Some reported a spiritual awakening from exercise. As if becoming one with the universe, these women confessed that exercise felt like the right thing to do. They said that they owed it to their body to give it what it so desperately needed and as they fulfilled that obligation they felt at peace with themselves.
Weight loss or weight management was high on the list of why many of the women exercised. For many of them, exercise was combined with their diets for optimum weight loss, while others revealed that exercise allowed them to eat some of their favorite foods without the guilt.
One woman said that regular exercise helped her rest better at night. She has trouble falling asleep and staying asleep. When she started exercising, she began to fall asleep earlier and rest better throughout the night. A word of caution here, exercise a few hours before bedtime, exercising too close to bedtime may make it more difficult to fall asleep.
The women who only exercised a few times a month, said they enjoyed exercise, were aware of the benefits, but unfortunately lacked the time. When they did find the time to exercise, they felt elated afterwards and had a strong desire to make exercise a regular part of their lives. However, they were still trapped by the elusion that they didn’t have enough time to exercise.
With all the benefits that exercise has to offer, I cannot understand how women can still say they don’t have time to exercise. And it’s not just the benefits that are important. Not exercising and leading a sedentary life is extremely bad for your heart. Studies are showing that inactivity is one of the worse things you can do for your heart.
Exercise is good for the body, mind and spirit. As I listened to these women talk about their relationship with exercise I felt inspired and motivated to share their stories with all of you. I want you to love your body, get excited about exercise and share your accomplishments.