Exercise is essential to life -- it can reduce stress, control your weight, make you feel good, and help prevent disease. But exercising isn't just about strength and stamina; in fact, exercise is just as much mental as it is physical. You must be willing to work hard and consistently in order to receive the results you want. However, aside from the motivation and diligence, you must maintain for yourself, you have some other mental factors that contribute to your workouts. And these mental factors are your thoughts.

At the gym, I sometimes think...

1. This feels great!

After a long week of intense workouts that I set up for myself to do, I feel like my stamina is actually improving. So I go right ahead and add on more weights or run those extra two miles. While I'm doing so, I think to myself "I'm gonna add more next week." But then I come to realization that...

2. This feels awful.

I put myself through too much work that I have exceeded the feelings of being just sore. I can barely hold my books, take a shower, and brush my hair without feeling like I am ripping my muscles apart. Why did I do that much?

3. I wonder if I could have ran that much without my music.

Music is vital to my workouts. As I'm thinking now, I don't know what I would do without my Spotify and Soundcloud playlists. I once didn't charge my phone before my workout so it died half way through and I could not seem to be able to finish as strong as I usually do. In all seriousness though, that beat drop made me run so much faster. Thank you Kygo.

4. What I am going to eat later.

I just worked out for like 10 minutes so I kinda have to eat healthy now, right?

5. Did that guy seriously not wipe that machine?

There is a giant sweat mark sitting on that seat that I think if someone sits down they will look like they just peed their pants. Come on, wipe the machine!