Why I Exercise......

Sometime I just need to remind myself why I am doing this, as a sort of intrinstic & extrimstic form of motivation. Also, I thought it would be good to post my reasons, as some people might not have thought of that as a reason.

I'm not in elementary/junior/high school and no one is forcing me to exercise. Although when it came to gym class there were plenty of girls in class that would walk up & down the court in the direction the teams were going and just gossipped the whole time, you know those girls. I was NOT one of them. I actually took pride in being able to steal the ball away or kick some boy's ass on the court. Please tell me why you choose to exercise.

• To prevent additional weight gain or lose weight (exercising builds muscle, which will increase your metabolism and cause you to burn more calories in your every day tasks.)
• To look better in my clothes & out of my clothes (who wants Oprah flags anyways, tone those arms ladies!)
• To be able to eat more (Hmmm.....didn't see that one coming did you. Well, I like food and like to eat. I enjoy preparing and consuming food -- but not in any sort of pathological way. And if I am burning more calories I can consume more.)
• To catch up on reading my magazine subscriptions (I have a lot and the only other time I read them is when I am taking a bath.)
• My animals need the exercise too. If I go for a walk outside, I bring the dog. If I exercise in my exercise room, my fat cat Larry joins me and runs all over the weight equiptment. He would never do that if I didn't go exercise, he would stay sitting on the couch. But his favorite is when we do yoga. He lays right next to you and does stretches right along with you -- it's neat.
• I will be a role model for my children. (Children learn in their early years by modeling and thier best source fo modeling behavior comes from their parents. They will continue to model as they grow up, but they also begin to learn your value system and if they learn you value exercise, then that is something they will value as well. Now, if I could get Andy to move a little more. I don't think his parents moved too much when he was growing up.)
• I work out some of those kinks in my back/shoulders/etc. It loosens everything up.
• Stress-relief......need I say more.
• To hang out......I sometime like to workout with another person so that we can talk. For me it works best if we are walking and we walk roughly the same pace, or if we go to the gym and can used machines side by side at our own pace. I exercise not just to hang-out, so I don't want to be going too slow.
• It helps to keep my cholesterol at a decent level. You would think that at under 30 years old I wouldn't have to worry about that, but I do. There is a long family history of heart disease on my maternal side and my mom lost 2 siblings before they were 50. The first time I had my cholesterol checked (3-4 years ago) I was surprise it was over 200 (not a good thing) and I made minor changes because I ate a reatively healthy diet, I just added in more fiber, took supplements, and started exercising more. That helped and lowered my cholesterol.
• I want to be able to keep up with my kids and not be gasping for breath as I run after them (that is once I have them and they are old enough to run faster than me.)
• I find workout clothes very comfortable and like to buy them & wear them.
• I teach a walking/jogging class at the Community College and who wants to take a class like that from a fat person.
• It is supposed to help you get back to your pre-pregnancy weight faster (I'll let you know about this one) and helps you to not gain more weight than needed during pregnancy (seems to help.)
• It is supposed to help with endurance during labor, to have a shorter labor, reduce the risk of tearing or needing an episiotomy (do I need any other reasons?!?!?!), decreases the risk of a premature birth, helps prevent gestational diabetes, and reduces the need for a c-section.
• I think a lot on the treadmill and come up with topics for my blog (actually, exercising is supposed to increase brain power due to the increased consumption of oxygen and increased blood flow. Also, helps reduce your risk of developing Alzheimers.)
• It can be fun. Really -- it can.
• I need to be able to carry around a baby in a carseat and not feel wiped from doing that.
• I actually like seeing my muscles work. We have mirrors up in the exercise room and if I can see my muscles working, it's pretty cool. It's sad when I am all flabby and soft and can't see my muscles hidden under there.
• I want to.