Are You Working Out for The Wrong Reasons?

When I'm asked to tell my story in interviews and the like, I usually preempt my journey into fitness with this: "I started working out for the wrong reasons."

It's taken me a few years to reflect on this, and today, I'm going to come out and say that I was wrong to say that.

The reasons I started working out were right for me at the time. The result I wanted mattered to me. My WHY got me to the gym. It got me to recovery. It got me to the interviews in which I told the story of my struggle in the past tense.Truthfully, the compulsion I felt to work out was disordered. Initially, I was aiming for unhealthy ends. In fact, I really didn't care how I felt at the beginning. What mattered to me was how I looked after it all.Being in that gym taught me to fight. It taught me how to use struggle instead of run in fear away from it, and it taught me that change is only achieved after you get a few bumps and bruises. Beyond those results, I learned what's more important than looks and seeking love and worth through them.I discovered my inherent worth in that gym, and was able to create a life free from the tyrannic rule of thoughts otherwise.Though I do rescind on my statements of starting for the "wrong" reasons, I do wish that I had been more aware of cues that could have helped me find that healthy balance earlier. I'm hoping that they may be able to help you in whatever stage of your journey you're on.To ensure vitality through fitness instead of furthering disorder, check in with yourself every few weeks with these questions:

Does this energize me?

If you feel fatigued after workouts and don't recover within a few hours, you might be overtraining or focusing on thoughts based in fear, guilt or shame.To shift these scenarios into your favor, correct your amount of exercise or frequency so that you feel energized afterwards, and adopt an empowering mantra to fire up your workouts (and your life). This will not be as easy as doing it one time–it will take practice and patience, and it will be worth it.

Am I allowing my body enough time to recover?

Training without rest is just as bad as - and sometimes worse than - not moving at all. To reap the benefits of movement, you have to allow your body to rest. If you don't recover from soreness within 48 hours or if your body constantly feels heavy and slow (instead of light and bubbly–this is not a weight reference; it's a feeling within your muscles), consider cutting back on training.Also consider what you're refueling with and when. If you don't refuel properly, you may be cutting off your results before they have a chance to manifest. Read up on post-workout nutrition and play around with what works for you.

Am I feeling more confident from this, or am I focusing on never being enough?

The danger of fitness obsession is very real. It's extremely important that we check in with ourselves by asking, "Why do I work out so much?" and being honest about the answer.If you find yourself constantly striving for perfection through deprivation or overtraining, it may be due to the self-worth you've connected to exercise. Do you believe that you'll earn more value by getting these results? Do you believe that you as you are right now is not enough? Though there are no "wrong" reasons for beginning to workout, there are unhealthy reasons for pushing yourself beyond your limits. If you find yourself relating with this, take a break from your workouts, and come back in a week after some reflection.If all of these thoughts are overwhelmingly familiar, consider talking to someone who understands disordered thinking around exercise and food. There are local resources near you free of charge or priced on a sliding scale. Click here to see them.Whatever your reasons for movement, they are right. With honesty and the will to confront old thoughts, you can make your workout beneficial for both your body and your mind.

Let's get you in the game, if only for this reason: you are worth fighting for.

Stay strong,

Amy