My Why for Exercise

Written by Michelle Shelton

Jan 16, 2023

It’s January. The month for New Years resolutions. The month when all the gyms are full. The month when we all determine that this will be the year that exercise finally sticks or that we will finally lose that weight.

Exercise can be a tricky topic in the world of body healing and body love. Many of us have used exercise in a punishing and painful way. It’s 30 minutes of daily misery to be endured because we “should”. Against this we might push back, and rightly so. I don’t believe our bodies need to be punished or tortured in the name of meeting a number on the scale. I don’t believe our bodies need to look a certain way to be worthy of love or to do the things that we love. 

But exercise has been an important part of my life. I am a huge fan. It has changed my life in significant and impactful ways. I have been exercising consistently since I was 16. That choice to begin running as a 16 year old was one of the greatest gifts I gave my future self. And I am grateful to her for it. 

Exercise has brought me back in my body when my natural way to deal with hard things and avoid the pain is to be in my head. I turn to learning and knowledge, introspection, thought and analysis and separate from the feeling. Exercise is so physical in nature, the pounding of your feet on the pavement, the air flowing in and out of your lungs, your heart beat sending oxygen to your muscles as they work through the strain. Every morning I get out of my head and come back into my body. I release emotions. I extend love and appreciation for its strength and the way it carries me through life.

Exercise has taught me that I am strong. I was not very active as a child. I didn’t participate in any sports. I didn’t even have my own bike to ride. Never even had swim lessons. The most exercise I did was to walk a mile to the grocery store to buy a Twix bar and a bag of ranch Fritos. Mmmm…the best. When I was 16, I decided I wanted to change that. I didn’t feel very athletic and I didn’t have a lot of money. But I could buy a pair of cheap running shoes and go outside. It didn’t take a lot of coordination or a lot of money. I ran less than a mile the first time I went out. Maybe a half mile. But that didn’t matter to me, and it wasn’t important. What was important was that I kept doing it. Each time I got a little stronger. Eventually, over many years of consistent exercise, I was running 40+ miles a week. Today I do a mix of running, weight training, and cycling. I can do 138 push-ups in a workout. What?! I never would have believed that I was that strong. But after years of showing up for myself to exercise, I’ve learned that I am. 

Exercise has taught me resilience and endurance. Life pushes us to do hard things. It has a way, without us even trying, of stretching us, sometimes to our limits. It forces a beautiful process of growth. If you are like me, you may wonder if you can really do it, if you can do this hard thing. When I used to run half and full marathons, I would always question if I was really going to run 18 miles that day. Or 15. Or 12. Honestly, I wasn’t sure. And I didn’t focus on that. I focused on the next step, the next street lamp to pass, the next corner or the next hill. And then suddenly the miles had passed and the run was complete. I had met my intention for that run that day.  So much of the journey is showing up and getting started. And for the runs when I didn’t meet my goal, it was meant to be. My body needed the rest.

If exercise is on your list of resolutions or intentions for this year, good for you! I believe you will be happier and stronger for it. If I could offer one piece of advice, it is this. Focus more on getting started. On being consistent. On showing up for yourself. Focus less on how punishing or miserable it is. If it is either of those things, consider easing back. Or try something else. But don’t quit. Your future self, that self that's a little bit stronger than you are today, may thank you.