Exercise Is Not About Vanity, It’s About Functionality

March 9, 2020

When I was younger, I believed exercising was going to get me the body I wanted. Anytime a new trend came out, I was on it. Over the course of a couple weeks, I would get bored and move onto something else.

The feeling of HAVING to work out made me want to do it less. After having my last baby, I worked out to not only get my body back but to also have time to myself. This lead to me being able to stick with something longer than a second.

While I like a good sweat, the older I get the more I see exercising as a means of functionality. Doing yoga daily and taking our dog on walks provides me with the energy and stamina to perform at a higher level around the house.

We are remodeling our basement and I’ve been able to help out the entire time. I’ve lifted boxes of flooring from the garage to the basement, carried multiple boards of 2×4’s from the lumber yard to the car into the house. Bags of 50lb concrete, no problem. By having a daily workout routine that I love, it’s allowed me to be an active participant in our family without getting winded or tired.

My kids are highly into sports. Yesterday, I shagged volleyballs for my daughter as she was perfecting her jump serve. And when she needed a break from that we passed the ball back and forth together. I recently volunteered to be my son’s soccer coach, so he and I did some passing drills yesterday in our back yard. He went in before I did.

It’s moments like this where I want to be able to function as a human being without feeling like my body can’t handle something that exercise proves to be beneficial. It’s not about looking a certain way, but instead having the endurance and strength to keep up with the people around you. When my kids want to play with me, I have no excuse but to join them.

What does exercise mean to you?