By Yamila García
I don’t love the gym; I used to get bored and annoyed by having to go. I’ve always been more into sports, but there’s not much to do in the area where I’m living, so I have no choice. I’ve tried to go to the gym many times, but I always ended up not going. I went very reluctantly, and while I was there, I couldn’t wait to leave. I also wondered if it was fair that the moment I had to do something, it had to be something I didn’t enjoy at all.
I recently tried once again to get used to the idea of the gym. I thought that if I wanted this time to be different from the previous ones, I had to do things in a different way. On the one hand, I decided to go in the morning, something I never did because I waited to “gather strength” during the day and ended up going exhausted and frustrated in the evening. On the other hand, I also decided not to let that “all or nothing” thinking determine what I did there. I would go, and at least I would be moving, and with that, I would feel satisfied.
The first time I went in the morning, I felt a very strong change in my mood. I felt as if my brain had been cleansed of anxiety, worries, and darkness. I returned home proud of having gone and with a lot of positive energy that allowed me to continue the day with optimism and a desire to do more things for myself. Also, by not having gone full of expectations and simply listening to my body, I was putting together a routine that didn’t weigh me down so much, and I ended up liking it. By liking it, I was able to maintain it over time, and suddenly I began to notice how I had to increase the weight in the exercises because I no longer felt anything. Clearly, without realizing it, I had not only cleared my mind but also strengthened my body.
Working out is clearly having a positive impact on my mind. I never thought that exercising could have an even bigger impact on my mind than on my body; I never thought it could solve so many things that I struggled with for so long. I know it’s something that is said and that many professionals recommend, but many times taking that first step takes time and requires courage, especially when you have tried so many times without success.