TurquoiseEyes
Cathlete
As someone currently in college, I COMPLETELY agree that exercise is a great stress remedy. Outside of my faith, I'd say fitness is the single most de-stressing activity I engage in. Regular sessions of vigorous exercise affects the functioning of neurotransmitters in the brain very positively (serotonin and dopamine, for example), leading to a happier outlook on life. It can often help with sleep problems like insomnia or sleep apnea. It is time we're taking for us. I love that I put in that hour or so of utter focus into the step, dumbbells, Cathe's lead, etc...and NOT focus on my own little world or problems. Taking that adult time-out is a necessity for my sanity. 
I would also say that, just like with college, setting short- and long-term goals is essential.
I think a big problem our culture has is this mindset where working out regularly should be primarily about how one looks on the outside. I'm referring to the fast-paced, want-everything-today society in general. The quick-fix, short-term vision is one I believe many people need to break away from. It's very nice to look fit and be at a healthy weight for our body type. However, I work out for the mental health benefits and long-term benefits to my body on the inside more than anything else these days. Exercising seriously a minimum of three days a week, an hour or so a day, leaves me with: a better mood; a more positive outlook on life; a sense of being proactive, which is endlessly empowering; the knowledge that I'm choosing to live my best life on purpose; knowing I'm building health for the long haul with each good choice, and finally, an increased confidence level in EVERY area of my life. There is no upside to not working out, and there are so many positive benefits to working out, it is worth every ounce of sweat, every dollar spent, and every hour devoted to my fitness journey.
I've lost 160 lbs. from eating healthy and exercising six days a week (both weights and cardio, but the cardio portion took a LOT more time for me to master). Other than being very flexible naturally, I have absolutely no athletic advantage. I couldn't do step aerobics when I first started out around 20 months ago. I couldn't get down on the floor, or get up from it. I had to do floor-based exercises in bed for the first couple of months I was working out, my knees were so shot. I am still nowhere near possessing what one would say is an ideal body, and there are times when exterior progress simply stalls. However, now I can work out with Cathe six days a week, and that takes endurance and speed and strength! I'm thinner than I was in high school. I feel truly beautiful inside and out, and that was not my feeling a few years ago. The first six months of training are usually the ones when we see the biggest changes overall on the outside. It's exciting and uplifting to see those changes. The weight loss has made me someone who can walk through life with joy again. Looking better in clothing, stuff that's ten or more dress sizes down from what I wore just a few years ago- yeah, that's a wonderful thing!
Nonetheless, I really don't find the exterior changes I got to be the best ones of all. The changes that mean the most to me are ones that occurred on the inside, and the great sense of ease I now have in my daily life. Being able to climb five flights of stairs with 30 lbs. worth of groceries and not get out of breath, is now my reality. I couldn't even walk up or down a single flight of stairs three years ago, let alone have any extra weight with me. Walking an hour around town with friends and not having to say, "Can we please sit down? My knees and feet hurt so badly"- that is now my reality. To clean the house for a few hours each weekend and not feel as if I'm walking with legs made of lead, and that my arms are about to fall off from scrubbing or vacuuming a short time- that is a big change. A few years ago, unloading the dishwasher was an excruciating task, no joke. I remember waking up one day a few years ago, and wondering how on earth I would find the strength to keep going over the long haul. I was huge, in pain all over my body from morning until night, and was so depressed about how out-of-shape I'd let myself become. I was in my early thirties, but I felt worse than some people in their nineties. Now I wake up and I think, "What do I need to get done today?", without a single worry over my strength or endurance levels. I possess not only physical ease due to getting fit, but far more mental ease. I don't even question it or think about it, I simply know that I can completely depend on my body to get through anything that I need to get done. Cleaning the house, walking to the grocery store and back, climbing up and down five flights of stairs every time I go out or do any laundry (I live in a 3rd floor apartment these days), working out for an hour or so, running errands over the weekend...I do it all with an ease that I hadn't felt since I was a young teen. I never imagined three years ago that I'd be the person I am today, that I could have gained this level of fitness back, that I could live virtually pain-free now. Yes, I changed my habits, but my beliefs about my own capabilities also had to change. We can enslave ourselves with false beliefs about our limitations, our capabilities, our destinies. Every workout in those early days was a big leap of faith, praying I wouldn't make the pain worse, hoping that my knees and back would hold out. I started out slowly, and at what most people would consider an abominable level of fitness. However, I kept working a little bit, day after day. Working out at home was far less embarrassing, at least.
If someone as bad off as I was could change what my doctor and many others considered my terrible fate (basically, complete disability by age 40), almost anyone can change. People have to believe they can change, they have to give it all to making that transformation (knowing it'll take time), they have to be consistent in making good choices- but in most cases, I would say they are NOT destined for a life of ill health, irreversible weight gain, pain, depression, etc. Transformation does not happen overnight, although it is amazing what changes you'll see even with a few weeks. There is no quick fix. It is not easy, especially in the beginning, when we might feel clumsy or unfit. But that bodily discomfort does dissipate, and it actually does not take that long with regular training and a good diet. I'll be honest...sometimes you just have to work through the pain. We usually avoid the exercise(s) we need most. I HATED step aerobics when I started. Now I love it! I believe that you WILL eventually get truly significant pain relief from a good program of weight-training 2-3x a week, cardio 2-3x a week, and some daily stretching. Not only due to weight loss, but due to better eating and the automatic strength/endurance/flexibility that you'll gain- including within the foot muscles themselves.
Work out for the long haul, for the future you want to have, for the example you want to be of health and fitness over a lifetime to others. It isn't just about how you look, it's about how you get through daily life. Gaining fitness does nothing but make that easier. It is so much more enjoyable to view it that way, instead of simply focusing on some body part or number on a scale you want to change, IMHO. Envision the things you want to be able to do pain-free in the years to come. I disagree with your doctor's comments. I swear from personal experience that is IS possible to see more and more pain relief, a higher level of fitness, and a better-looking body with every passing year!
I would also say that, just like with college, setting short- and long-term goals is essential.I think a big problem our culture has is this mindset where working out regularly should be primarily about how one looks on the outside. I'm referring to the fast-paced, want-everything-today society in general. The quick-fix, short-term vision is one I believe many people need to break away from. It's very nice to look fit and be at a healthy weight for our body type. However, I work out for the mental health benefits and long-term benefits to my body on the inside more than anything else these days. Exercising seriously a minimum of three days a week, an hour or so a day, leaves me with: a better mood; a more positive outlook on life; a sense of being proactive, which is endlessly empowering; the knowledge that I'm choosing to live my best life on purpose; knowing I'm building health for the long haul with each good choice, and finally, an increased confidence level in EVERY area of my life. There is no upside to not working out, and there are so many positive benefits to working out, it is worth every ounce of sweat, every dollar spent, and every hour devoted to my fitness journey.
I've lost 160 lbs. from eating healthy and exercising six days a week (both weights and cardio, but the cardio portion took a LOT more time for me to master). Other than being very flexible naturally, I have absolutely no athletic advantage. I couldn't do step aerobics when I first started out around 20 months ago. I couldn't get down on the floor, or get up from it. I had to do floor-based exercises in bed for the first couple of months I was working out, my knees were so shot. I am still nowhere near possessing what one would say is an ideal body, and there are times when exterior progress simply stalls. However, now I can work out with Cathe six days a week, and that takes endurance and speed and strength! I'm thinner than I was in high school. I feel truly beautiful inside and out, and that was not my feeling a few years ago. The first six months of training are usually the ones when we see the biggest changes overall on the outside. It's exciting and uplifting to see those changes. The weight loss has made me someone who can walk through life with joy again. Looking better in clothing, stuff that's ten or more dress sizes down from what I wore just a few years ago- yeah, that's a wonderful thing!
Nonetheless, I really don't find the exterior changes I got to be the best ones of all. The changes that mean the most to me are ones that occurred on the inside, and the great sense of ease I now have in my daily life. Being able to climb five flights of stairs with 30 lbs. worth of groceries and not get out of breath, is now my reality. I couldn't even walk up or down a single flight of stairs three years ago, let alone have any extra weight with me. Walking an hour around town with friends and not having to say, "Can we please sit down? My knees and feet hurt so badly"- that is now my reality. To clean the house for a few hours each weekend and not feel as if I'm walking with legs made of lead, and that my arms are about to fall off from scrubbing or vacuuming a short time- that is a big change. A few years ago, unloading the dishwasher was an excruciating task, no joke. I remember waking up one day a few years ago, and wondering how on earth I would find the strength to keep going over the long haul. I was huge, in pain all over my body from morning until night, and was so depressed about how out-of-shape I'd let myself become. I was in my early thirties, but I felt worse than some people in their nineties. Now I wake up and I think, "What do I need to get done today?", without a single worry over my strength or endurance levels. I possess not only physical ease due to getting fit, but far more mental ease. I don't even question it or think about it, I simply know that I can completely depend on my body to get through anything that I need to get done. Cleaning the house, walking to the grocery store and back, climbing up and down five flights of stairs every time I go out or do any laundry (I live in a 3rd floor apartment these days), working out for an hour or so, running errands over the weekend...I do it all with an ease that I hadn't felt since I was a young teen. I never imagined three years ago that I'd be the person I am today, that I could have gained this level of fitness back, that I could live virtually pain-free now. Yes, I changed my habits, but my beliefs about my own capabilities also had to change. We can enslave ourselves with false beliefs about our limitations, our capabilities, our destinies. Every workout in those early days was a big leap of faith, praying I wouldn't make the pain worse, hoping that my knees and back would hold out. I started out slowly, and at what most people would consider an abominable level of fitness. However, I kept working a little bit, day after day. Working out at home was far less embarrassing, at least.
If someone as bad off as I was could change what my doctor and many others considered my terrible fate (basically, complete disability by age 40), almost anyone can change. People have to believe they can change, they have to give it all to making that transformation (knowing it'll take time), they have to be consistent in making good choices- but in most cases, I would say they are NOT destined for a life of ill health, irreversible weight gain, pain, depression, etc. Transformation does not happen overnight, although it is amazing what changes you'll see even with a few weeks. There is no quick fix. It is not easy, especially in the beginning, when we might feel clumsy or unfit. But that bodily discomfort does dissipate, and it actually does not take that long with regular training and a good diet. I'll be honest...sometimes you just have to work through the pain. We usually avoid the exercise(s) we need most.
I HATED step aerobics when I started. Now I love it! I believe that you WILL eventually get truly significant pain relief from a good program of weight-training 2-3x a week, cardio 2-3x a week, and some daily stretching. Not only due to weight loss, but due to better eating and the automatic strength/endurance/flexibility that you'll gain- including within the foot muscles themselves.Work out for the long haul, for the future you want to have, for the example you want to be of health and fitness over a lifetime to others. It isn't just about how you look, it's about how you get through daily life. Gaining fitness does nothing but make that easier. It is so much more enjoyable to view it that way, instead of simply focusing on some body part or number on a scale you want to change, IMHO. Envision the things you want to be able to do pain-free in the years to come. I disagree with your doctor's comments. I swear from personal experience that is IS possible to see more and more pain relief, a higher level of fitness, and a better-looking body with every passing year!
