When I was 18, my mind set was that I would go to a great Christian college, meet a great Christian guy, and have a happily ever after. Of course, I now see that this was a completely false conception. However, this is the life that most Christian college students feel that they will have when they graduate high school. That is not the case for most people. Unfortunately, everyone is going to go through trials of some sort and deal with things on their own that they do not want to deal with.
I still, and will always, remember the second semester of my freshman year. That semester was when I realized that this world really was not perfect, or pain free. I stepped out of my Christian high school bubble and ended up seeing reality. That semester, I ended up being in a relationship that left me feeling worthless and destroyed. My family was also going through a pretty tough time with my brother. To top it all off, I was betrayed by one of my closest friends.
You might be wondering how fitness comes into all of this? When I was going through these different circumstances, I always felt very anxious and depressed. I would wake up in the middle of the night feeling like I could not breathe, or I would be walking through my day just full of anxiety. I finally decided that I would take this feeling of anxiousness (and even a little bit of anger) to the gym.
I always loved working out, and participated in multiple sports in high school, but freshman year I started to learn how to weight lift. For me, weight lifting and intensive cardio is the best way to release stress and anger. When I get in the gym, I channel all of my energy into my workouts. It is scientifically proven that exercising releases endorphins. Endorphins are a hormone that releases a positive feeling throughout the body. So during my workout, and after, I feel like a whole new person. It clears my head and it makes me think positively again.
I am now 21, and I still work out almost every day. I have become both physically and mentally stronger from simply hitting the gym every day. I believe this can change anyone’s life. It just starts with moving your body a half hour each day! As soon as I realized this, the gym became my therapy.
