How A Late Night Walked Motivated Me to be Consistent
Hey guys, it’s Skye, one of your WeGLOW trainers here. I want to share with you the story of how movement and exercise came to be such an integral part of my life.
Strength isn’t defined by the amount of muscle we have, or how much we can lift. It’s a way of being, of how we show up for ourselves each day. We exercise to feel, challenge and move our bodies which requires the mind to push past pain and quiet any thoughts of self-doubting. Before exercise was a part of my life, my daily routine consisted of school, working 8/9 hour shifts, studying, and then doing nothing but trying to muddle through what I planned to do with my life.
At the age of 20 I remember feeling so stuck. I hated my job that I had been working for the past four years. I was also experiencing some difficult family problems, to the point I had actually stopped attending college for two semesters. This all resulted in me suffering from a huge amount of anxiety, something I had never really experienced before. I needed something to make me feel but not feel what my mind was feeling, something that gave me a release from the anxious thoughts that were dominating my mind.
At the time, I lived about three blocks away from a gym that I would frequent about once every two weeks with my best friend. I knew I needed a dramatic shift in my routine to move me past my anxiety, so I created a plan to go at 1am each day. Yes, really – 1am. Now hear me out – I only knew how to use about three machines and the gym would have been packed had I gone after work. Also at work I had the closing shift, so I could sleep in till noon, no need to wake up early. When my alarm went off a quarter past midnight I was so pumped about the change in routine. The whole time I remember feeling extremely excited (and a little anxious), because it was going to be my first time working out at the gym alone. I was also aware of the risks and potential danger I was exposing myself to by walking alone that late, but as it was a short walk and I knew the route well I took the risk. Not only did I have an amazing workout, but I no longer felt the stress and anxiety from the day weighing on me. Walking alone that late at night also gave me the confidence to go during rush hour the following week, and ultimately the drive to go almost every day for the next two years.
Being active became a form of therapy for me and still is to this day. I suddenly had motivation for my life as a whole and the desire to take care of my health and wellbeing. I began to have health goals, such as putting on muscle, which required me to learn and think more about the food I was eating and whether it contained the nutrients and fuel I needed to meet my goals. I enrolled back into college and created a schedule that fit work, exercise, study and a social life into my weekly routine. This structure is what gives me the motivation to continue. Like anyone I still face issues in life, but being active has helped me to better cope with these problems and meet the challenges that life presents head one. Being disciplined, challenging my body to get stronger, to push harder; it’s made me more resilient, so I no longer get as anxious or as upset as I used to.
Motivation comes at different stages and for different reasons for all of us and we all need to learn to capitalise on those bursts of motivation to help build positive habits and discipline. I’m not telling you to put yourself in dangerous situations, but I am encouraging you to put yourself in uncomfortable situations because it’s from that discomfort that true strength is built.
