As a woman, I feel a lot of us face certain expectations to look a certain way or to constantly be in shape. How skinny are we? Do we have flat stomachs or abs? Are we doing those squats for the dump truck? A lot of gym motivation for women comes from comparison or societal expectation. This either drives women into the gym or drives them away. Social media only perpetuates the problem with posing and editing that makes people look and seem a certain way when it isn’t real. Because of this, a lot of people have a complicated relationship with food and fitness.
Exercise is a controversial topic. Some people cannot stand the gym. Other people swear by the gym lifestyle. I am one of those people. I am up every morning before 7 am. I complete my skin care routine, clean my room, and then arrive at the gym before 8 am. I love cardio but I also love to lift. My aspiration in life is to outlift the men. The hour and a half I’m working out each morning is my quiet time to start my day. I talk to absolutely no one and focus purely on myself. The gym is very much my happy place. But it wasn’t always this way.
In high school, I rowed crew. I was always erging, taking spin classes, or lifting. My hands constantly had blisters and sore quads were not uncommon. Because I was always in sports in high school, figuring out a routine in college was hard. When would I have the time? What made me feel good? What was my motivation? When I first started working out, I pushed myself hard every day. If I didn’t feel burnt out by the end of the week, I felt I hadn’t worked hard enough. My motivation was not self-care, but to fit a certain expectation. I was always comparing myself to other fit and small girls in the gym. I was constantly mentally drained and exhausted. I began to resent fitness and saw it more as a punishment than something to appreciate.
Eventually I had enough and took a step back. I began to push myself to take rest days as well as explore exercises I enjoyed. I still lift because I enjoy feeling strong. I discovered that while I hated sprinting, I loved distance running. I also tried yoga. Not only did I explore different areas of fitness, but I didn’t push myself to exhaustion every day. Some days I push myself hard and others I take it easier on my body. I no longer move to fit an expectation, but to appreciate the fact that I am healthy and have a body that can move every day. I push myself to be better and progress each day for myself and my happiness.
I think everyone should find time to move for themselves in their day – whether that be through yoga, meditation, walking, strength training, or even running. Everyone is different. Embracing fitness properly has nothing to do with intense cardio or lifting till your arms fall off. All that matters is finding something you enjoy to appreciate your body and what it does for you. Once you find something you love and consistently make the time for it, you feel so relaxed knowing you always have that time just for you.