Hey, everyone!🙋‍♀️🙋🙋‍♂️

#SelfCare: How are you feeling right now? What's something you can do to feel better? Comment and take a moment to breathe and think.❤️🤗

Movingggg on.
I'm surprised at the title of this chapter as much as you are. I was never an exercise person. However, lately, I have been exercising more than I ever did in my entire life.

Just to give you a little background story, which you can totally skip.

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I was pretty much a skinny girl, as a kid. We had kids in our neighborhood and we all used to play everyday. So, that fulfilled my quota of exercising.

However, high school happened. With the increasing burden of academics and all my friends in the neighborhood getting crammed inside their houses to do homework, that stopped. I spent more and more time inside my house. There was a time, kinda still is, when the only time I went outside was to go to school. So, obviously, I started putting on weight.

At first, I didn't really care or notice. But apparently, people did. They started making me notice it. A comment here and there, a nasty remark, a laugh. I never got bullied but it was perhaps just light banter about my weight now and then.

With 11th and 12th grade, I was under so much academic burden. With stress and not moving because I was on my desk sitting pretty much 24/7, I gained a lot more weight.

This time, the remarks went out of hand.

I officially got the 'fat' tag. My clothes of course didn't fit me, leading me to random bursts of breakdown now and then. I grew tired of this body. I started to subtly hate it. Even though I knew I should exercise not just because I was fat but because I needed to be fit, I did not because it felt that it'll be accepting that I'm fat and things need to be changed. It felt wrong. Exercise felt like accepting my body is wrong.

On top of that, seeing workout videos on the internet, where perfect people demonstrate some real tough whatever-the-hell-that-is, made my zero self esteem go into negative.

It took so much of me to convince myself that exercise need not be a punishment for what my body is, exercise needs to be a celebration for what my body can do.

I started to notice how my body feels after a workout. It's not about the end result. It's about the immediate aftermath - the glow on my face, the blood rushing underneath me, the satisfaction of having completed a routine. Those things were things I started to look out for.

❤️Somebody so rightly said that, "Transformation is secondary to exercise. First is to feel happy. That's it."❤️

✨There are tonnes of research studies that show that exercising leads to an increase in "endorphins, dopamine, adrenaline and endocannabinoid -- these are all brain chemicals associated with feeling happy, feeling confident, feeling capable, feeling less anxiety and stress and even less physical pain." ✨

All these changes inside me did not happen overnight and are not permanent. I still sometimes feel like giving up but I remind myself of these reasons.

Lemme discuss a few points that helped me and might help you start exercising.

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1. Find your type.
There are different types of workout routines available. There's HIIT, Aerobics, Low Impact, Yoga etc etc. You need to see which one works the best for you. For me, low impact is my go-to. Aerobics works pretty well for me, too. Once you've found out your type, your body will be more receptive towards exercise and would not resist doing it.

2. Keep a workout tracker.
Aah, the satisfaction of striking off a day after working out. Keep a track of whether you're working out consistently. Consistency is the key. Whether you use an app or a physical calender or a planner, make sure to track it and reward yourself at milestones like 15 days, 1 month, 2 months and so on.

3. Measure yourself.
This is something which I learnt from a YouTuber. She was trying out something but did not record her before. So, that made it tough for her to judge her after. It's difficult for us to notice any changes in our body. So, it is a great habit to measure yourself before starting out and then keep measuring yourself after regular intervals like 1 month. It is highly rewarding and makes the process something you'll look forward to.

4. Find a mentor/guide.
This is one of the most important points. Finding the right mentor is so important. I remember starting out with watching workout videos with no voiceover or anything. That made it harder for me to push myself. I once stumbled across a YouTube channel called 'Body Project'. I highly recommend it.

I've tried one of their workout videos but it was so amazing. The coach was so motivating. He kept asking us to give our own best, breathe, take a sip, take a break if we need and so on. It helped immensely. I, for the first time, completed a 30 minutes workout because of him. Also, the people working out with him had real bodies, people who were on the same track as us. So it made the entire experience very motivating.

A little exploration will make you find your own mentor. Another name off of my head is Chloe Ting. She's super amazing. You can check her videos out, as well.

5. Find a partner, if you can.
Having someone who can workout with you makes you more determined to get your ass out and work out. I coaxed my mom to join me. Yay💪🤗 to my mom. We both do some yoga, low impact and aerobics, almost daily. If on some days I'm lazy to workout, she makes me get up and do so. It helps in being consistent. If you can, let someone hop on your wagon. It'll help.

Another alternative would be make a YouTube comment under any video you would wanna workout to, for let's say a month. Keep a track of you working out daily in that comment by editing it and share your before and after measurements or just your thoughts after the said period! I've seen people like such comments and actually push those people to continue. So, it'll be equally helpful.

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So, these are the points which helped me and are helping me to get into a habit of working out daily. It has helped me to stay happy and positive.

I hope it helped you. Lastly, exercise is never ever about changing your body. It is about to feel good about the body you currently own. Our bodies work endlessly to keep us well and working. Exercise is a little gift to our bodies.

Lemme know in the comments if it did and if I made you feel like shaking your booty maybe.😎🤩

Tag your friends if you enjoy this book and/or this chapter. Share the love.☺️🤓

Happy exercising! 💪🤗Lots of love.😍🥰

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Before we leave, here's some recommendations.

Movie recommendation🎥: Inside Out, directed by Pete Docter.

Book recommendation📚: The Silent Patient, by Alex Michaelides.

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Should I continue giving my recommendations? Do lemme know in the comments.

Signing off,
Sam.❤️✨