Why Do You Go to the Gym?

So, this face palm worthy conversation happened at work today:

Person 1: "Why am I eating this?"
Person 2: "I don't know, you're just going to get fat."
Person 1: "Well, I'll just have to go to the gym."
Person 2: As if realizing this for the first time "But you're thin. Why do you go to the gym?"
Person 1: No response.
Person 2: "Are you trying to get strong? Why would you want to get strong?"

To clarify - and not that it matters - but this conversation happened between two men and further illustrates the absolutely asinine relationship most people have between their bodies and the things they do for/to them.

To be clear, nobody is under any obligation to work out. Your health is your business and you can choose to work out as much or as little as you want. That said, if your aim is to work out in an attempt to garner results that nobody can prove are attainable for a reason nobody can prove is good for you (*cough* *cough* getting thinner), I would sincerely suggest that you change your motivation.

If you are looking for some motivation to work out, I'd be happy to share some that work for me.

Destress
Your life is hard. Your job is hard. When you work out, your body releases endorphins that boost your mood. I used to kickbox and I also took a cardio kickboxing class for a little bit before I left for Turkey, and cathartic pretty much sums it up.

Getting Stronger
Maybe you'll build defined muscles, maybe that's not what your body does, but your body will thank you for doing resistance or weight-lifting work. Women, in particular, neglect this because they don't want to look "masculine" (newsflash: this isn't likely to happen anyway unless that is your desired outcome) but women can really benefit from weightlifting. By age 30, a woman's bones are fully developed and begin to deteriorate. Weightlifting helps to maintain the strength in your bones.

Breathing
If you workout, your cardiovascular health improves. This can help to prevent heart attacks and make that walk up the stairs easier.

Better Posture
Hey, you, yes, you, slumping at your computer reading this blog. Working out regularly can help strengthen the muscles in your back and core giving your spine a tall look and helping to alleviate the back pain that comes with regular slouching.

Boosted Immune System
Getting in your exercise can help to avoid viruses like colds and flus.

You Just Feel Better
Put all of those benefits together and still the one that feels the best for is that, at the end of my workout, I just feel really good. I feel proud that I've stuck to my workout schedule. I often feel happier than I did when I started my workout. I feel like a sexy mama with sweat running down my face.