Other People's Success is Your Happiness

Exercise was never something that I liked doing. When I was little, being the fastest was important, being the strongest was important, and being good at tag was the most important of all. But when it came to exercise to be healthy or to lose weight, I hated it! As I grew up, health was emphasized everywhere. Being in sports was what made you look cool, and PE was mandatory. Maybe it was the fact that exercise seemed mandatory that I hated it so much. It was the same feeling I got when my parents would tell me to do the dishes, to do my homework, or to do the laundry. I would do them on my own if nobody told me to, but once someone would tell me to do them, I'd feel this sudden resistance to actually do the task I was told to do. Exercise seemed like a constant nag that I became immune to hearing. But one day I got sick, and that was when I realized that health was important. I wasn't exercising to do other people a favor. It was for me.

Now, it does feel good after you finish that tough workout video. It definitely feels good when you look in the mirror and see improvement unfold in front of your eyes. But even this has a limit when it comes to keeping me stay motivated. Once I reach that nice slim body, I lose motivation and I go back to my unhealthy ways! Looking at improvements gets boring after a while sometimes. But then I found something that REALLY motivated me. It was when I saw improvement unfold amongst my friends and family.

I just finished the last exercise for Week 4 of Insanity, and I have been following the program with my dad. When we first started, he could only finish the 1st set of the warmup section. I expected this because my dad has a hard time doing any type of cardio workout. It's been a while since he actually started a good workout routine, and Insanity is a pretty difficult program. I kept urging him to follow along with me, and now he is able to finish all 3 sets of the warmup section without resting! I know that may sounds like nothing, but knowing my dad, I know this is a big improvement. He has never been the type to consistently follow a workout program till the end, but at this rate, it looks like he will finish Insanity with me. Seeing myself improve has been a big motivation, but seeing my dad improve has been a bigger motivation and inspiration in itself. Helping my family to become healthier has been my strongest push to keep going on my fitness journey. I have never been this excited about fitness ever before. :)

I really think finding a workout buddy really helps to keep a fit lifestyle. Try to find a friend or a family member to workout with you. Maybe you can make it into a game by betting who will last the longest. When you see them improve, you'll know what I mean when it helps you to keep going. :)