Why I Workout

It’s that time again. Time for another random blog post. I really have let this thing go, but it’s nice to write a post every once in a while.

Growing up, gym class was never my thing. I wanted to be good at it. Believe me. I wanted to run like a gazelle and jump like a kangaroo, but I found other things much more exciting.

Well, let me be 100% honest here, there was a moment in my childhood when I was a gymnast. It was short-lived career. After less than a year, the coach didn’t want to have to move the equipment for me each time because I got too tall, so that was that. (I was going to be the next, Nadia. I was. Darn height.) Anyway, after that I put energy into other things like music, learning about technology and crafts. As a result, my mental and physical physique suffered and I never turned in to that Olympic athlete I planned to be.

Flash forward to 2009. I decided that time had come. This had gone on long enough. I needed to start taking care of myself. I joined a gym. I started slow. I remember making it a goal of going every other day. It was torture. Fifteen minutes on the treadmill felt like I was walking through hell. I hated it. Until I got in the car. That’s when the endorphins kicked in. I felt like I accomplished something. I made a difference in my own life. No one else had a hand in it. I did it, all by myself. Soon my goal of going every other day turned into going everyday and I was hooked.

A funny thing happened after I took working out seriously. The rest of my life got better. I gained more confidence. I smiled more. The relationships in my life were more meaningful. I was happier. Happy was a feeling I hadn’t really ever felt before then.

The great thing about working out is that no matter what else is happening in my life, I can still go to the gym and do something that positively impacts my life. I might not have my dream job, but I am the CEO of Marissa, Inc. and I am doing a damn good job at keeping her running.

Now let’s not go overboard, I’m not running marathons or anything (yet). I can barely run a 5K, but I am probably in the best shape I have been in since I flipped over the uneven bars. I recently returned from a trip to South East Asia and was amazed that I kayaked, ziplined, and hiked without any major injuries or pain. I want to work towards being able to do more of those types of things. I would love to go rock climbing or go on longer and higher hikes in other places around the world.

In the end, I workout because it makes things possible.