In a recent interview with Shape Magazine, Kate Hudson said “There’s no way a woman gets up to work out at 6:30 a.m. just for the mood boost. She wants to fit into her jeans and look fantastic too.”
I generally like Kate Hudson. How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days is a great movie.
And she's definitely got a point. But I think she's missing a big part of the equation. Yes, everyone wants to fit into their jeans and look fantastic. But, there are so many more benefits to working out and being active on a regular basis than just the size of your clothes.
What are they?*
A clear(er) head. There's a lot going on in my head, at all times. Most of it has absolutely nothing to do with what's actually going on in the real world. It takes a lot of mental energy to sort through it all. But when I'm strength training, everything else gets a little quieter. I'm much more able to be in the moment and focus on the task at hand and clear my head for a little while. And I've found that long cardio sessions are the perfect time to sort through my thoughts, mentally prep for the day ahead, or decompress from a long week.
Me time. Or time to interact. I get to choose what kind of workouts I want to do. So, if I'm in a particularly social mood, I can take a class or meet up with a friend to go rock climbing. But if I feel like I need some me time (of which I need a lot), I can shove my earbuds in and jam to my music while tuning out the outside world (I may or may not randomly start dancing in the gym on occasion). Or pop in a DVD and do an at-home yoga workout.
Energy. Working out is work and it wears me out. But in the best way possible. And in a way that allows me to have energy when I need it throughout the day and a great sleep at night. Are there days when I feel like falling asleep at my desk? Definitely. Are there nights when I toss and turn for hours? For sure. But, on the whole, I definitely have more energy when I'm living an active lifestyle than I ever did when I was generally sedentary.
Strength and independence. For some unknown reason, we have one of those water coolers in our office that uses the 5 gallon jugs of water (which, according to the internet, weigh about 40 pounds each), instead of the kind that just taps into the building's water system. Our office is rather large, so we go through a lot of water a day. At least twice a week, the water jug is empty when I go to fill my water bottle or make tea. So, I have to replace it. A few years ago, I don't think I would have been able to lift the 40 pound jug and maneuver it onto the water cooler. But now, I'm more than happy to do it myself. I can even say "no thanks, I got it" to my male co-workers who offer to do it for me. (Is that rude?) And, I can bring all the groceries in by myself on one trip, lift a heavy box, move furniture, etc., etc., etc.
A clear conscience. I know some people get really mad when someone says "hey, I was going to eat that ice cream cone anyway, so at least I worked out this morning." But it's totally true. If I really want ice cream (or a donut or bread or wine or cheese or...), and its not just because I'm bored or depressed or something, I'm going to eat ice cream. Depriving myself only makes me want it more. But I generally feel so much better about it if I know that I already did something good for myself that day - be it a full-on workout or just a long walk.
A larger (smaller) wardrobe. Like I said, Kate Hudson definitely has a point. Not only has working out made me lose weight and fit into a smaller clothing size, more importantly, it's made me feel better about the clothes that I wear. I no longer want to wear baggy clothes that just make me look bigger and miserable (well, most of the time. Although I do love a good pair of sweats). Now I want to wear things that show off my favorite features and that have shape to them. I want to look better so I feel better. And I'm no longer dragging my too big pants on the ground and having to hike them up all the time (thank God for wide hips or those things would have fallen to the ground on more than one occasion).
Does getting up at 5:15 in the morning or making time to be active on the weekend sometimes suck? You betcha!
But is it worth it? Totally.
Not only does my body feel better on a day that I'm active, but my crazy mind is able to slow down, if only for a little bit, and I'm able to really connect with myself. And to me, that's worth the pre-dawn wake-up calls.
*I'm sure there are as many different reasons to work out as there are people that do it. But these are what get me to the gym or the park or the streets on a regular basis.
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