I rolled over with every intention of throwing the alarm across the room, but my arms were too sore to extend across the span from my bed to the nightstand and grab it.  I did manage to use the weight of my hand to slap it into silence – at least for another ten minutes.   What was I thinking?  Scheduling a personal training session with Heidi the hottie, a 25-year-old aerobics instructor/personal trainer/swimsuit model, at 7 o’clock in the morning?  I was clearly losing it.  Okay, in my defense, when I scheduled my first week of sessions with Heidi I wasn’t in my right mind and I hadn’t experienced my first encounter with her.  It was a time when I was still capable of brushing my teeth without laying the toothbrush on the counter and moving my mouth back and forth over it.  I had actually kind of liked her – then.    

As I lay there, waiting for the alarm to request it’s second beating of the morning, I asked myself why I was doing this.  Why exactly was I putting myself through this torture?  Then it hit me.  I am not Heidi.  I’m not 25 anymore.  I actually have to work at keeping my health in check.  But if I was going to be honest with myself (and I usually am, even when I don’t want to be) I had to admit that I wasn’t doing this mainly for my health.  No.  There were more selfish, shallow reasons at the root of this self-inflicted torture.  Here is what I came up with.

 I exercise . . .

So I can eat my cookies when I want to and not feel like I have to hide in the pantry to do it.

So I can wear a bathing suit in public without mentally questioning if everyone within a 1,000 foot radius is judging me.

Confidence.  To feel better about myself…especially when I’m clothes shopping.

T o be able to keep up with my kids without feeling as if I’m going to collapse a lung in the process.

The opposite sex.  That’s right.  I’m single.  Enough said.

Those were my reasons when I started this journey, and I won’t lie…they still get to hang out in my Top 10 Reasons.  They have, however, been joined by 5 more reasons.  Reasons I’m sure we can all agree are pretty good motivation for sticking with an exercise routine.

Better Mood – Cranky much?  Exercise creates endorphins – your body’s “feel-good” chemicals.  You can actually begin to perk up within a few minutes of starting to get a move on.  Bonus though, the effects of regular exercise can last for much longer.  I’m all about some feel good endorphins.

More Energy – Okay, so you have yourself convinced that expelling energy isn’t going to give you more of it.  Wrong.  Using energy to exercise gives you more get-up-and-go.  Sometimes when I’m tired, the last thing I want to do is move.  I get it.  However, when you’re regularly exercising, that “there’s no way I’m getting off this couch to go to the gym” feeling goes away and you find yourself with a lot more pep in your step.  And willingness to actually get off the couch.

Sleep – It didn’t take me long to realize I was sleeping like a baby when I exercised regularly.  Now I fall asleep faster and sleep more soundly.  Which means I wake up ready to go at it again. And I haven’t’ had to buy any new alarm clocks recently.

Less Stress – Everyone stresses.  You might not have that “I’m about to snap, don’t mess with me” look on your face, but that doesn’t mean you don’t have stress in your life.  Exercise calms you.  When your body exerts itself at a low intensity level, the levels of stress hormones (like adrenaline and cortisol) decline.  If they decline, the stress will too.  If you’re like me, you’re going to need to exercise daily, because stress is going to hunt you down daily.

Health – I know, I know.  This should have been high on my first list. Health is important.  Without it, it doesn’t matter how awesome I might look in a bathing suit.  It’s no secret, regular exercise can add years to your life.  It can also decrease your risk of some cancers, like colon, breast, and lung.  It can help ease the pain of arthritis and make daily activities easier.  And we all know that exercise is great for your heart.  Consistent workouts lower your risk of heart disease, improve your cholesterol levels, and help control (and even prevent) high blood pressure.

Clearly, there are dozens of other reasons I could give, but they wouldn’t be personal to you.  You have to ask yourself why it should be important to you to get yourself back into a regular exercise schedule.  And keep in mind, it doesn’t have to be a session with Hellacious Heidi.  (Okay, maybe that’s a little harsh.  Heidi is really quite nice when she isn’t smiling at me and counting reps.)  Try taking a walk around your neighborhood or park a few times a week or a bike ride with your kids.  Regardless of what you do, do something.  You’ll thank yourself for it.