Balancing the Physical and the Emotional

Why do you work out?  Is it to get fit?  Is it to lose weight?  Is there another reason that gets you moving each day?  For me it is a combination of wanting to get fit, lose weight and to relieve stress.  The other reason is I love working out.  There are many out there that HATE exercising.  They call it a "necessary evil" or "something that must be done," but for me it is one of my favorite parts of the day.

Six days per week, I get up and do some form of exercise.  It could be weight lifting, running, riding the elliptical or a nice long walk.  But, it is important that I get moving in the mornings.  Working out first thing is what sets my day in the right direction.  This past couple of days working out is what has helped keep my sanity.

The last two weeks have been something of a struggle for me.  I have been dealing with depression and there are a few friendships that are not where I'd like them to be.  It's weighed heavily on my mind, but I've basically gone with the flow to just get through each day.  I had an inspiring counseling session on Friday and it inspired to take some important action.

I had a particularly unsettling interaction with a friend on Saturday that really threw me for a loop.  I've been told that what was said was not meant, but the damage had been done.  It didn't affect the friendship  long-term, but it did make me angry.  I was also dealing with issues surrounding my allergies (it's that time of year) and I was unsure if I was going to be able to work out my frustration on Sunday morning.  When I woke up on Sunday, I dragged myself to the local park.  My goal was to make it around twice, but I had no faith that I would be able to do it without stopping because of how hard it was for me to breathe.

I started the run and soon I was moving very quickly.  After 5 minutes, Mrs. Runkeeper was telling me that my pace was 8 minutes and 40 seconds and I felt like I was on my way.  I didn't really think I'd be able to maintain that pace, but I ended my run with an 8 minute and 56 second mile.  It was a fantastic accomplishment for me and I was so thrilled to have done it.  It also made me really start to work through the stress---the stuff with my friends, issues surrounding work, even concern about the future.  It is because of this physical activity that I am basically a happy person today.

I urge anyone that is dealing with stress to take a walk, a jog, or whatever.  If you're physically unable, do whatever kind of motion you can.  I am a firm believer in taking control of physical health will do wonders for your mental health.  Will it be a cure all?  No, but in my experience, most people feel better once they have done some kind of physical activity.