Can't Get Yourself To Workout? Let Me Give You A Reason (Or Four)

A while back, I posted about how I made exercising a part of my daily routine. I got a great response from that post, and in it, I promised to post about my motivation for making exercising a part of my life. And so here it is!

The motivation for doing something is key for me. I'm an over-thinker so I can't just do something for the sake of doing it. It has to have a purpose. Sometimes that purpose is fun, or because whatever I'm doing makes me happy. But I've never been able to just do without some type of meaning or reason behind my actions. So if I'm going to commit myself to doing something every day, it has to have some rock-solid motivation behind it. In the case of working out, I could go on and on about the benefits. But today, I'll just give you my top four reasons for getting my butt in gear every. single. day.

It's vital to find reasons that motivate you now and will continue to motivate you. You will not find "get skinny" or "lose weight" on this list. It's not that I don't want to lose weight. I'm human and I could stand to lose a few. But it's not a good enough reason for me to exercise everyday. Working out is hard. It's called "working" for a reason. And some days, I care about my weight more than other days, so just the prospect of possibly losing some weight is not enough for me. It is far from enough, in fact. Especially since I've actually had the experience of running six miles every day and not losing one pound for MONTHS. (Can you say frustrating?!) Anyway, I digress.

I have managed to find the right motivation for exercising for me. Maybe getting thin is one of your top motivators, but it just doesn't cut it for me at this time in my life. I remember saying to Quinn (my husband) about six months ago that I wanted to lose weight, but more than that, I just wanted to be happy with how I looked. I wanted to be confident and not have self-esteem issues every other time I looked in a mirror (after-baby body can be a rough thing to deal with, especially when your babies are ten-pounders). Living like that was not okay with me. And I'm happy to say that after making exercising a bigger part of my life, I still have days when I wish I were thinner, but generally, I am ten-times happier with the way I look. And honestly, I don't think it changed that much. I just changed my perception of it, which was my goal in the first place.
So let's get to it:

1. Exercising works as a mood-stabilizer. Think this is just a rumor or only for people without serious chemical issues? You're wrong. Exercising has been proven to help improve your general mood and fight depression. (Don't believe me? Use Google Scholar and find some peer reviewed articles on the subject. Believe me, they exist. I've checked.) I've never suffered from depression, but I have close friends and family members who do and who have used exercise, especially running, as a method for mood-stabilization.

That being said, I can be moody because I'm a woman and I deal with small children all. day. long. I mean, it's just a recipe for emotional disaster, really. But exercising improves my mood throughout the day by leaps and bounds. If science doesn't prove it, let my personal experience be your proof. I see a noticeable difference in the stability of my mood and my general happiness between the days that I exercise and the days that I don't. This is my absolute biggest motivation. I like to be happy. My kids deserve a happy mom and my wonderful husband deserves a happy, kind, and forgiving wife. Exercising is one of the key elements of my life that helps me be those things for me and my family.

2. News Flash: Exercising is good for your health! It can also help prevent or postpone the onset of dementia. After being pregnant, I've actually noticed my mind not functioning on the same level that it used to. I do not want to lose my mind. So! This is another great motivation for me to exercise. I don't want dementia and if I'm going to get it, lets have it be later rather than sooner. (Again, science agrees with me! I even have a specific source this time that you can read if you're interested. I found it very interesting. Go to: http://www.mayoclinicproceedings.org/article/S0025-6196(11)65219-1/fulltext)

Besides not getting dementia, I want to be healthy! I want to feel good and have energy to take my kids to the park without getting tired and feeling put out. I want to be up for anything, and exercising keeps me able to do all the things I want to be able to do. I also want to live longer and be stronger so that I can be there for my family as long as possible.

3. Exercising gives me confidence and a sense of accomplishment. This is probably why I don't feel bad every time I look in the mirror anymore. I look a little better than I used to, but I'm not a supermodel. I never will be. Seriously. Not even close. But setting goals and accomplishing them makes me much more confident and I am at my best when I feel like I'm accomplishing something that's important to me. And my health and strength is very important to me.

4. I want to be a good example. There is a video that's been all up in the internet lately and it is so inspiring! It makes tears come out of my face every time. Here it is:

Every time Lincoln tells me he wants to exercise with me or like me, it gives me motivation to keep going. We teach our children our habits. We teach them how to eat, how to live, how to spend money. I want my boys to have happy lives. I know that exercising will help them to have that, and so that's why being a good example made my list. 

What's your motivation? I'd love to hear it so I can add to my list!