Recently I had the opportunity to really appreciate the support that exercise contributes to my life, and to discover the relationship between my commitment to myself and my commitment to exercise.
I was quite the exercise fanatic for a large percentage of my life, but in recent years I had pulled back rather substantially from my exercise programs. Whilst I never stopped exercise completely, as I love my walks, I definitely reduced the amount, intensity and regularity.
In effect, I had experienced the two opposite ends of the scale – exercising too much for most of my life, and then in recent years, pulling back to a very minimal exercise program. But I felt that something was not quite right with my approach and with my commitment to exercise – and so I started to explore.
I began to introduce a regular gentle exercise program and I discovered that my body loved this new gentle and connected way of exercising. Listening to my body made me realise just how supportive and important exercise is and how it had such a positive effect on how I felt throughout the day. When I listened to the wisdom of my body and began to exercise for health and vitality, rather than weight management or body image as was the case in the past – I felt amazing!
I started a more regular and committed exercise program of cardio, light weights and some gentle stretching. I noticed how this supported my energy levels and thus my days in a very positive way. And it got me pondering:
- Why did I stop a lot of my exercise in the first place?
- Why do such a large proportion of the population do very little exercise?
As I began to honestly reflect on why my commitment to exercise had waned, I started to piece some things together. Apart from the obvious fact that I was exercising way too much and too hard, and then not exercising enough, I started to connect the dots of what was happening in my life and why these choices were made. It dawned on me like a big yellow light bulb, that…
There is an innate relationship between my commitment to exercise and my commitment to self.
My lack of commitment to myself was not something I was conscious of at the time: I didn’t go walking around saying out loud “I have given up on myself!” I discovered that this process of giving up on oneself seemed to be a slow chipping away over time that easily went unnoticed, as most of my focus was on getting through the day’s events.
On reflection, I can see that I went down the path of giving up on aspects of my life like relationships, family and friendships, because it all felt too hard or hurt too much. Over time, the self-doubt started to kick in, confidence and self-worth headed south, and the joy of life started to lose its sparkle and magic. My energy levels became erratic and my exercise commitment started to decline. I had to pull in more vices and outside motivation in order to get off the couch to exercise. Examples of vices I used were stimulating food and drinks (coffee, alcohol, sugary foods) to give me energy, or convincing myself off the couch to go for a walk even though my body was tired and unmotivated.
If I am really honest, the only reason I stayed in good shape during this time was vanity and my career. I wasn’t choosing to exercise for health and vitality: I was choosing to exercise for the purpose of a body image that I knew was accepted by society. But as I was to discover, like many others have, this approach cannot sustain itself long-term.
The relationship between the commitment to me and the commitment to exercise has become so clear to me now. The more I struggled with life, the more I struggled with committing to exercise. Now that I have seen this connection, my relationship with exercise is very different. Choosing to commit more to me and to truly living life has included dealing with the unresolved issues that were dragging me down. As a result of these choices all aspects of my life have changed… the way I eat, relate to people, my work, my relationships, energy levels… life has become a joy!
When I reflect back it all makes sense; of course I would lose interest in caring for me if I had on some level checked out or given up on aspects of my life. When we feel we are worth it and life is worth it, we pull out all stops to care for and nurture ourselves.
My newfound commitment has come from the understanding and claiming that…
- I matter in the world.
- I am making a conscious choice to make a difference.
- I am equally as amazing as anyone else because only I can bring what I bring and share with the world.
- I truly believe I am worthy of expressing my full potential.
Our daily choices really are powerful and have a big influence on our health and thus how we feel.
I have started to notice more and more how my body feels during, and after, my daily gentle exercise program. Here are the things that I am very much appreciating that regular exercise offers me…
- Increased endurance, stamina & energy levels
- Increased ability & ease to stay focussed on tasks
- A sharper mind with increased clarity
- Increased confidence in my body
- A content feeling in my body after exercise
- Improved quality of sleep
- Improved digestion & stool movement
- Reduced appetite, thus less likely to overeat
- Less likely to comfort eat, if at all
- An awareness of everything internal flowing with much more ease & efficiency (blood flow, circulation, digestion, assimilation etc.)
No longer is exercise a chore or something I have to do, but simply one of the many ways to support my wellbeing. It also confirms to me that my commitment to exercise is because of my commitment to me.
Without a doubt exercise is an important part of looking after ourselves, and we are all absolutely worth it!
By Marika Cominos, Fitness Professional / Yoga, Meditation & Complementary Therapies Practitioner, Melbourne, Australia
494 Comments
Definitely needed to read this one today! A commitment to exercise is a commitment to myself which in turn is a commitment to life.
With a love-less physical aspect to life our wayward ways can balloon out of control as you have shared Marika.
And adding to what you have shared is that a simple one-hour gentle exercise program twice a week, supported by a simple ten-minute walk every-day with both bringing a focus back to our breath to be at-least gently, with the gentle breath helping maintain a presence with our bodies as we exercise, and this is all our body needs to reap the benefits in so many ways.
“I felt amazing!” A beautiful way to realise when our exercise is in tune with our body.
What I’m discovering is that exercise requires of and supports my commitment to life. This is only possible when I truly take care of myself when doing it. When I struggle with exercising in one or another way, I’m finding that I’m ignoring the new level of detail and care that needs to be embraced at that time. If I don’t surrender to that new level, it’s very easy to fall in a ‘mechanical mode’ which takes the joy out of it and then I don’t find the purpose, so I easily stop my commitment to it. This is a cycle that just can be broken with presence and an ongoing commitment, not with exercise in itself, but with myself.
I’ve found that. If I exercise in connection to myself I feel I’ve worked out and ready for the rest of the day. If I am not connected, push myself too hard then I am sore and stiff and don’t want to do life for at least 2 days after.
Thank you Marika. This is what I really needed to read today.
‘If I am really honest, the only reason I stayed in good shape during this time was vanity and my career.’ I would say this was also why I exercised, it wasn’t for health but so as not to be fat. Now I am more inclined to exercise due to the health benefits and my body feels like it appreciates it.
I’m inspired now to explore the areas of life that I know I can bring more love to and see how my commitment to exercise unfolds over this time.
Having spent years exercising hard to get it over with as quickly as possible it has been an ongoing journey to commit to incorporating gentle exercise into my life in a sustainable way and interesting to find out how resistant I have been to doing exercises during my working day and how this exposed how I still compromise my body and put getting work achieved before my own wellbeing.
The benefits of exercise are becoming more and more known, how exercise supports us, and can help prevent many forms of illness, even mental illnesses.
Commitment to self is super important, ‘My newfound commitment has come from the understanding and claiming that…
I matter in the world.’ That I am equally as amazing as ‘anyone else because only I can bring what I bring and share with the world.’
I’ve recently taken up an exercise program and can feel how much my body wants to move; not in a driven or jerky way but a gentle and conscious way.
Thanks for the inspiration to get back on the exercise again.. I know that when I exercise regularly there’s a flow to my life, more space and just a general feeling of commitment to life and connection, with myself and what’s going on around me. I love the strength and clarity that I feel from exercising regularly and how it supports a sense of steadiness throughout the day.
It is quite the difference when we exercise to support the way that we feel, and to assist us in the physical demands of our day rather than just for the way that we look. The latter is but skin deep, whereas our relationships with our bodies are so much more important than that giving us access to such a wealth of information about what is really going on.
I have just had a baby and I can start to feel the need to explore gentle stretching again, and build back to exercise that supports my body. Reading this blog is very inspirational because it helps me connect to the purpose of exercise and how we can do it out of a love for our bodies and not a wanting to change them.
Regular, daily exercise makes an amazing difference to how we feel in the rest of our day. I know that when things get busy, exercise is one of the first things that goes out of the window, as I convince myself I don’t have time for it – but that is precisely when I need it the most, as I know that it re-energises me and means that I have more energy to work for longer, in a more sustainable way.
Agreed Bryony, when the work rate goes up that is precisely the point where we could do with the support that exercise offers us. My work involves alot of thinking and so the body work makes sure I don’t get lost in my head. And then there are intense bursts of heavy lifting and knowing that I have ‘got my own back’ with the strength that is there is awesome.
Commitment is the cornerstone of the foundation of our lives
‘No longer is exercise a chore or something I have to do, but simply one of the many ways to support my wellbeing. It also confirms to me that my commitment to exercise is because of my commitment to me.’ Thanks Marika I have an on off relationship with exercising and with that I say I have an on off relationship with me, time to bring my commitment to myself to another level not choosing this on off way of living but feeling my worth, knowing that I am the only one bringing what I bring and share this in abundance.
I know that when I avoid exercise, there is a part of me that wants to stay in a sluggishness and does not want to express my natural joy. Its like I want to stay in a struggle and making life difficult instead of supporting my body to feel more light.
Commitment in one area of our lives automatically leads to more commitment in all other areas. This to me, beautifully reveals how we do not live in parts but that who we are is the sum of all our parts.
Sluggish choices lead to a sluggish feeling and these sluggish feelings lead to more sluggish choices, it is a self perpetuating cycle.
The more we deepen our relationship and connection with our body and become more loving and tender we feel valued and worthy in committing to nurturing our whole being and gentle exercise and movements from a connection to our body becomes our natural way of living.
The greater the loving and honouring relationship I hold with myself the greater love of life I live with. And with this appreciation, choosing to exercise in an honouring way is just another aspect of honouring my relationship with my body and being, which supports and confirms me to live the strength of who I naturally am.
Thank you Marika. I can relate to a lot of what you have shared. Exercise can bring so many benefits to the body and yet most people either exercise in a way that is harming or choose not to exercise at all. That in itself says a lot about the relationship most people have with themselves.
Exercise is a part of being responsible. It is also our responsibility to feel good, and feel we are worth it. That is to commit to ourselves as Marika has beautifully expressed. “When we feel we are worth it and life is worth it, we pull out all stops to care for and nurture ourselves.”
IF YOU DON’T feel you are worth it, and I once did, start with your qualities. Essentially even if it is only 5 mins a day to begin with, to write down a quality we are, and we are all the same in our qualities – sensitive, tender, delicate, fragile, vulnerable, playful etc and claim and feel from our body which quality we will come back for that day, after that first 5 mins. This is how I began to appreciate and thus accept myself – my worth. At the same time I committed to exercise too and this was just 4 exercises on the floor with some dumbells – 15 mins. A great way to build a solid foundation. Now to my supporting my commitment to myself, if I only commit to at least 2 days a week for just 15 mins it’s enough to keep my exercise routine going – consistency is key.
“When I listened to the wisdom of my body and began to exercise for health and vitality, rather than weight management or body image as was the case in the past – I felt amazing!” Exercising for health and vitality brings a whole new quality, purpose and presence to how we move our body and as you say Maria this feels amazing.
It is so true, when I exercise I feel much more steady, with myself and surrendered in the day, yet I don’t always stick with this. I need to contemplate why, when I know it is so supportive, I don’t always give myself the space to do it.
Exercise completely changed for me when I adjusted the amount and intensity I was doing it in and rather than focussing on a target to reach where I kept pushing my body, I started concentrating on my movements and connecting to my body’s natural rhythm so that I now feel very steady and light within myself and enjoy being present with myself as I gently move my body.
This is great and shows why some people may find it hard to stay committed to exercise as they may not have developed a loving commitment to themselves and therefore the choice to exercise is not then in the flow of their choices. I can relate to this as I have gone through times of not caring for myself and just getting caught up in the day and these are the times when I let my diet and exercise slip as my choice to not care for me affects all of my choices.
Without appreciation for what exercise offers us it is harder to maintain it and as you so clearly share this is a downward spiral that we can struggle to come out of. Appreciation for the benefits of exercise and the amazing bodies that we have been given are so supportive when we are trying to change long established patterns and committing to treating ourselves with loving care.
Beautiful to feel your commitment to yourself of which exercising is a part. I have always known that my body responds better when it has some exercise and have just booked a one-to-one session to support me with establishing a personal programme that can become an integral part of my life.
One line into this blog and I was jealous, luckily, I decided to keep reading and everything you offered on exercise was so clear and beautiful, it’s the best way I have ever heard exercise benefits described actually but alas the jealousy still remained. Lots of thoughts started to come to me, like I wish I could fit that into my day and nobody understands how little time I have and how many businesses and children I have, I can hardly even fit a daily walk in. Anyway, I am boring myself, the Violins and pity party for one has that effect on me. The point is I wanted to be honest about my jealousy because at least then, it will not have the same hold on me. In truth, I want what you have established for yourself, I am inspired by you but unfortunately for now, still jealous that I cannot see a way of having it with my current situation but I am still laughing, even as I type, you have to laugh sometimes or you’ll cry!
Oh Sarah…your comment made me laugh. Love your honesty 🙂
I know what you mean about being time poor as our lives are so busy these days.
One of the things I do to fit in my walking on busy days is making phone calls whilst I am walking or taking friends/family on a walk with me.
A 30min walk makes all the difference to my day…
” Recently I had the opportunity to really appreciate the support that exercise contributes to my life, ”
In the last year I have had the same opportunity , and its amazing as to how the body, me, loves the supportive consequences of physical exercise in the gym.
I am having the same experience John, except I don’t go to the gym but do two online exercise programmes that my body appreciates. It has the same feeling of going for a walk when you’ve been in all day – you can just tell the body is loving it.