Photos by Deeana Kourtney Photography
Outdoor Voices crop top | Outdoor Voices tri-tone leggings | Adidas sneakers
1. I enjoy it
This seems pretty obvious, and I know this is not something everyone can agree with, but I truly enjoy working out. I have found classes that I find to be just so much fun! I like finding new ways to move, getting into the music, and have a lot of fun trying out new studios and classes. I like the endorphin rush at the end of a class.I like realizing certain movements become easier over time because I have become stronger. I like feeling more ready for the day after a morning class. I like coming back from a morning workout and having a little time to myself before I need to get ready for work. I am actually currently writing this post between a morning yoga class and heading to work!
2. The community
I have mentioned this a few times before, but one of the main reasons I got into fitness classes was because I was new to Charlotte and didn't know a lot of people here yet. So I had hoped that I would maybe make some friends in my classes. However, that did not really happen until SweatNET Charlotte came around. I now have quite a few go-to girls (you've most likely seen them on my Insta story) to join me in just about any class. And because a lot of the SweatNET members and fellow ambassadors are trainers, I also take a lot of the classes that they teach! There is a good chance that if I show up to any of their events, there is someone I know there. I think sweating it out with friends is always a little more fun, and makes trying new things easier. I was usually comfortable enough to try a new barre or yoga studio by myself before. But I was always a little scared to try something out of that comfort zone alone. And I have tried quite a few classes in the last year!
3. Overall health
This is also an obvious one, and simply put, exercising is healthy. But not only that, consistent exercise and being involved in the fitness community has finally pushed me to make some big changes in my diet, which I elaborated on in this recent post. I quickly realized I would both enjoy the class more and see myself grow stronger, if I was correctly fueling my body to do the work. I also had become inspired by some of the community and what I saw people sharing on social media of their diet and food habits.
4. Opportunities to learn and challenge myself
I touched on this more in this post from last fall, but I have found it pretty fun to learn completely new types of workouts, or work my way up to a new level in some of my familiar workouts. It may be a little scary but I like the challenge of lifting some weights I had no idea I could even pick up. They're still on the lighter side, but I have made some progress from 2 or 3 lb barre weights I was used to. Or realizing I could hold my balance for longer than I used to be able to in a barre class, get through an arm series without dropping weights during the whole sequence, or nail a yoga pose I had been working on for a few months. I feel like there is always more to learn and so much I still need to try!
5. Escape from my day
Whether I am working out early in the morning or after work, there is nothing that will help me forget about whatever is going on in my life like a workout. I could either have a long to-do list to tackle when I get out of the workout or didn't have the best day earlier, etc. Once I get moving and into the music, I can usually zone in and forget about everything for 45 minutes, an hour, however long the class lasts!
Thanks for reading!