Have you ever thought about the concept of exercise and why you do it (or don't)?

The whole point of exercising is to move your body because that's what our bodies are designed for. However, over the years the concept of exercise has turned into a way to try and change our bodies. The issue with this is we simultaneously start to demonize exercising and our bodies — neither of them deserves that.

Exercise is supposed to be a way for you to use your body in a way that makes you feel good in whatever way that may be.

Your body is a vessel for you to partake in that movement. Exercise is not a punishment and your body does not deserve to be punished. But when we use exercise as a way to change our bodies that's what it becomes. We start deciding to run to lose weight or lift weights so we can boost that booty. Exercising stops being something that makes you feel good and becomes something that you dread doing but you "have to."

Here's the kicker. You don't have to! You don't have to run if it won't make you feel good that day. You don't have to "burn those extra calories." Your body does not need to change. It is there to help you move.

When we exercise for aesthetic reasons, we forget the joy it brings us.

We forget the mental clarity running can bring us, or the pride that getting stronger provides. We forget how much dancing makes us smile and how peaceful yoga is. We only view these once enjoyable activities as ways to change how we look.

These activities were created as ways to move our bodies, not change them so I encourage you to think of them that way. Think of the next run you go on as a wonderful thing your body can do instead of a punishment. You might be surprised as to how fast you can go and how happy it can make you.