6 Reasons I Lift

When I first started working out at the gym and got into lifting weights I had no idea what I was doing but it soon grew into a passion. Everyone starts somewhere and I used to be one of the girls who just went to the gym a few times to run on the treadmill and act like I knew how to do some ab exercises and I hated it. Once I started to learn how to lift from friends and hours of sitting at the computer reading articles and watching videos I fell in love. After a solid year of lifting I have learned so much more about my body and myself but here are some main reasons why I love it so much.

1. It's addicting to see results.

Seeing your body change and getting more in shape is something amazing to see. When I first started lifting I was strong and had some muscle but none of that was as defined as it is now. After lifting for a good year I have so much more muscle and I love the way my body looks because of it. I hate how some girls are so scared of lifting because they don't want to be "too muscular". The truth is that it takes tons and tons of time and work to have huge muscles. Lifting is going to help you get that toned definition and once you start growing your muscles your going to look better and feel better. One of many bonuses to lifting is that more muscle you gain, you burn more calories throughout the day. I always want to continue improving and see where I can go next. Seeing results is my motivation.

2. It's something I can completely control.

There isn't a lot in my life that I can control completely on my own. Many other people play a role in almost everything else in my life except for working out. No one is there holding my hand forcing me to go to the gym or giving me a grade on how I lift. It holds me accountable and it's my choice to improve myself. If I want to feel better and look better it's up to me and I control how I get there. My whole lifestyle has changed because of lifting and I couldn't think of a better way to change myself.

3. I can share it with others.

Many people come to me and ask questions about lifting now and it excites me because it is something that I love to talk about. I can ramble on forever about health and fitness tips that I have learned through my journey. I love that I may be able to impact others around me and inspire them. I want to share my love for lifting with people and show them how it can benefit them as well. It also helps me connect with others who have the same love of working out. The fitness industry is full of amazing people and I enjoy how everyone can relate in so many ways. I can inspire others and others can inspire me.

4. I use it as a stress reliever and an escape.

My favorite part of every day is going to the gym. Of course I'm not always gunning to go all the time, everyone has off days but once I'm not there I am immediately happier. Most days I wake up just looking forward to getting that workout in and planning out what I'm going to do. When I walk into the gym, put in some headphones in and start working out I have that time just to myself and it's an amazing feeling. Trying to push myself through workouts makes me feel like I'm changing for the better right in the moment. Lifting never fails to improve my mood throughout the day.

5. It makes my body feel amazing.

This is a great bonus to lifting. I'm so lucky to love something that is so good for my me. Of course the benefits it gives is one of the reasons I love it but I never knew how much it could really change my health. With lifting I became more inspired to eat healthier and fuel my body with what it needs. I used to be so obsessed with trying to be super skinny I thought I could try and eat as little as possible. The reality is that my body isn't built like that, but I am built to have muscle. Lifting has now taught me that I have to give my body what it needs and fuel it with wholesome good foods. I now enjoy eating a lot and it works because it's all about listening to what your body needs. I also used to have bad digestive problems and get stomach aches, headaches and acid reflux a lot but now I hardly ever have those problems. I feel stronger, healthier, and happier!

6. I can always continue to learn more from it.

The amazing thing about lifting is that you will never be done. I am continuously learning so many new things from others. I can change up my workout, try new things, and see how far I can push myself. I'm always setting new goals for myself in the gym and that list of goals can be endless. I will fail sometimes and sometimes I will succeed but the best part is learning during the way. I can't wait to see where I can keep going in my fitness journey and lifestyle.

I encourage everyone to just try lifting like I did and hopefully fall in love with it also. I could go on forever about the benefits it provides. For those of you on the same page as me, keep going and let's continue learning from each other and reaching our goals. Lifting and working out for me is now a lifestyle and I hope to share that with others.