My biggest motivation to workout each day and to stay healthy is because I want to live long for my kids and family. I have three lovely children and each day when I look at them and make unhealthy choices, I feel like I am doing them a disservice by putting my life at risk when I should be healthy enough to take care of my kids and plan for their future and even dream of a bright and beautiful future for them and with them.
Last year, I complained a lot about my health; I went from suffering fatigue to having body aches and not even having the will to get up and just go! You know that feeling where it feels as though your joints are giving up on yourself? My head was foggy as though I had clouds in them; I couldn’t think clearly or logically and I suffered what seemed like memory loss because I couldn’t recall things nor names; I couldn’t remember events and simple things like my daily vocabulary was missing. I had to struggle to clearly express myself and this is coming from someone who is a natural writer. Clearly my brain was fatigued just as my body was. And my husband – even though his words seemed simple had said to me: “if you don’t like your situation, then change it and don’t keep complaining.” You see, you can not expect any change or result if you do nothing and remain static or stagnant – nothing will change and you will find yourself in the rot and your self-confidence will spiral downhill. All that happened to me.
So last year in October, I made a simple decision – that I would walk for thirty minutes daily just as soon as I drop my kids off at school. I hate gyms and being an outdoorsy person, this was just the perfect option for me. So I started with thirty minutes walk – it wasn’t even brisk 😀. I tried for a week and then I stopped. I went back again but this time more determined. Each day I got stronger and my small workout routine got easier. By December, I was running and walking 11km daily. I felt so strong that I could just rise up and go!
And now, exercising for me is no longer about losing weight but staying healthy to live longer for my kids and family. I have had to make lifestyle changes like going to bed early to get enough sleep hours so I could be up at 5am the following morning. I make sure that my kids and I are out of the house by 6.45am so that once I drop them off at 7am, I start my two hours workout immediately.
I have also learnt to listen to my body. I realized that as we get older, our bodies start rejecting foods especially starchy, high carbohydrate and sugar foods. So I am also listening to my body and avoiding foods that my body does not want.
I haven’t even attained my weight loss goal but I am not giving up because my daily workout is no longer about losing weight but staying alive for my kids and family.
Whatever your motivation is for staying healthy or losing weight, hold on to it but make sure it is something valuable that can give you cause to run or jump every day and one that can strengthen you to make good life choices. Remember, your situation cannot change unless you do something about it.
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