Why?

Today I was asked why I exercise and whether I do it because I love it or because I feel like I have to.  This really got me thinking.

When I started walking last summer it was because I felt a need to get healthy for my family.  I was afraid my two little girls were going to look at Mommy and follow the same path I had followed and I didn't want that.  I didn't want my daughters to grow up chubby and be picked on.  I knew the only way to prevent that was to make the change start with me.  When I was off on maternity leave I used to go for walks with the girls and I enjoyed that so when I went back to work I decided that I would get up earlier than I needed to so that I could go for a walk with the dog before I had to get ready.  I enjoyed this alone time and felt better and better about myself but I found that it wasn't enough.  I didn't have enough time to get a really long walk in.  That's when I started to think about running.  A couple of people I knew were runners so I called one and asked about the running club she was in.  I decided that I would sign up for the fall beginner clinic and the rest is history.

Now, I have had gym memberships in the past and have done weight loss programs but they never lasted.  I always had excuses for why I stopped, I didn't have time, Adryanna didn't do well at the daycare, it was too expensive....

So what was different this time???  I think it was a combination of things.  First it was that I went in with a different mindset.  Instead of going in thinking I am going to lose 100lbs in the next 6 months I went in thinking I was going to get healthy for my girls.  Another reason is because I felt accepted the minute I walked through the door unlike the way I always felt at gyms.  Even just on the day I went in to sign up I was welcomed, the person who helped me was so nice and talked to me about what I would need to think about on the first day and even made suggestions for what to wear.  There was no feeling that he was laughing as I walked out.  I have never felt like anyone in the club feels like I shouldn't be there.  Now here's the tricky part,  I find I am much more confident now but I don't know if that started before or after I joined.  I know that I can now walk into a room full of people I don't know and find someone to talk to.

A year later why do I still run??  Is it still about health or is it the love of running??  I think again it's a combination of both.  I definitely caught the running bug and absolutely love it. I find that when I am with friends I want to talk about running all the time.  I look at race info all the time and try to decide what to do next.  I also love the feeling I get after running.  Like I say I feel more confident, I have more energy and just overall feel better.  I find I am trying to find ways to get more exercise into my life.  I try to get my girls out doing things that allow me to get more exercise. 

I feel like one step at a time I am breaking the cycle of obesity in my family.  I am proud of this and will keep on going.