Why do you exercise?

There are a couple of misconceptions that really irk me when it comes to exercise – the first is that fat people don’t exercise and the other is that people only go to the gym to lose weight. *sigh* It’s one of those “where do I even start?” situations.

Let’s begin with fat people not exercising. Now, it may come as a surprise to you (and to some people it genuinely will!), but some people exercise and some don’t – how big or small you are has nothing to do with it. I know fat people who work out often, fat people who work out sometimes, and fat people who never work out, and you know what they have in common? They’re all human beings who deserve to be treated with respect, regardless of whether they exercise or not. Yep, it’s true. I also know people who are not fat who work out often and also some who never work out. Everyone is different, so let’s just put that first silly misconception to rest.

The second point, the one about people only going to the gym to lose weight, that was actually said to me by someone last week. I honestly had to take a moment before I responded, because are you kidding me? There are many reasons to exercise (I’m using the blanket term exercise here because there are so many different ways to move your body, not just going to the gym). Some people do it to lose weight, but it’s definitely not the only reason that people exercise – for some people, that’s not even a factor.

When I was younger I loved playing sports, going to the gym and swimming – in my head I didn’t even equate exercise with weight loss, it was about having fun, being part of a team (I played hockey for about eight years), being strong, and feeling good. In my late teens, I started to exercise with weight loss as my primary goal, and I can tell you that most of the time I hated it. I was spending hours and hours at the gym, exercising obsessively – it stopped being fun and felt more like a punishment.

I sought help for an eating disorder in my 20’s, and part of my therapy was to make time for exercise and I had to learn to find pleasure in movement again. I found it in doing yoga, going for walks out in nature and weirdly, aqua aerobics. While I was at uni I learned that going for a walk is an essential part of looking after my mental health, and is really helpful for my creative process as well. When I dislocated my knee, exercise became part of the healing process. The reason that I exercise and the kind of exercise I do has changed over the years.

Exercise looks different for everyone – we all have our own reasons to exercise and we do it in many different ways. I had a chat to a few of my friends about what kind of exercise they do and why they do it. These friends are all different sizes, and all different fitness levels, but moving their bodies in a way that they enjoy is one thing that they have in common.

My friend James takes part in a sport called Buhurt (think medieval type battles, full contact group weapons fighting) and runs AMBAA B Company, a weapons training school.  He’s 5’6″ and fighting guys that are up to 7′ tall and sometimes a lot heavier than he is. James does strength and conditioning training to help him to be more competitive in his sport.

Kershia from K Kouture goes to the gym and does Body Combat and Pump, which helps her cope with life and stress a bit better. She says, “It’s a great outlet to let off some steam and quite frankly, people of all shapes and sizes go. I’m not a flat abs and toned person by any stretch of the imagination and I am okay with that because I’m doing this for me and not for anyone else.“

Samantha from PlanetBakeLife has a back injury and does aqua fitness (which is super fun – if you’ve never tried it I highly recommend grabbing a friend and heading along!) and takes small walks to build up her core strength so that she doesn’t do further damage to her back.

Emma from The Short Fat Chick embraces the gym, and I love seeing her post-workout selfies in my Instagram feed because you can tell how much she’s enjoying herself (embrace those endorphins, baby!). “It’s never been about losing weight for me,” she said. “I’ve always been active and I’ve always been larger. Whether that’s when I played netball as a teenager, or now in a BoxFit class. Has it bothered me? No. And I think it’s because exercise is selfish in that everyone is encouraged to set their own goals, so your motivation for working out is not their business.” Emma mentioned that she thinks exercise is good for your overall physical and mental wellbeing, whether that’s a vigorous BoxFit class or a quiet stroll along the beach, and I have to agree – as I’ve found from my own experience, I get so many benefits from getting some kind of exercise!

My boyfriend Doug is a cyclist – he’s 6’3″ and in mountain biking he’s classed as a Clydesdale because he’s tall and heavy. “I don’t care about how much I weigh, I don’t care how big I am – I am so much more than just my body. A few years ago I weighed in at a smidgen over 160kg, yet I felt like I was in great shape. In fact I felt so good I set myself a challenge – I was going to ride 160km at 160kg, a ride I smashed when I rode a very hilly 160km around Lake Taupo. No problems, and with no stress on myself to lose weight, I enjoyed every bit of training as well as the event itself. Life just doesn’t get much better than that!”

My friend Makaia is someone who has been really important in terms of me learning why exercise is so beneficial and is super encouraging when it comes to trying different kinds of exercise to see what works for you. When I asked her about why she exercises, she said, “I make sure I exercise, train and workout because frankly if I don’t – I get depressed! The older I get the more I have realised that exercise in my life has become my ‘happy pills’. If I don’t get enough exercise in each week I find myself on a downward spiral mentally and emotionally and eventually find myself in a deep dark pit. Of course I train to be fit and strong and keep my energy levels high, but ultimately my happiness and the happiness of those around me is hugely dependant on me making sure I get my exercise in.“

I have to say that I’ve never really thought that hard about other people’s motivation for exercise, but upon writing this post, it’s really interesting to find that so many of my friends have similar motivations to me!

My friend Rachel GeeBee and I have talked about this subject at length, and like Emma, she works out at the gym. “I exercise because it clears my head on days where I’ve spent an hour or more in the car fighting commuter traffic. I exercise because there is something empowering about tracking how strong I am and how capable my plus size body is. I exercise because the endorphins make me feel good afterwards. I exercise because I have never regretted a workout, not even a half hearted one where I only stuck to my favourite machines and moves because it was just a tough day.”

Like me, Kate from One Take Kate has a whole bunch of different reasons for exercising. “Exercise and fitness for me is about connecting with my thoughts and is a great crusher of anxiety, depression and really helps increase good mindfulness practices. Also, I can see that there’s health history for other members in my family that could be health futures for me if I don’t look to actively embrace healthy attitudes and habits. Then of course it’s an important part of caring and bonding with Nahlies, she’s a doggie, she needs exercise…no question.”

One of my favourite ways to exercise is getting out in nature for a walk, and pinup baker babe Miss Charlotte Cake agrees with me: “I prefer to get sweaty outdoors via long walks in the bush (my happy place is the Waitakere Ranges) because it boosts my mood and getting sweaty is great for your skin.”

My girl Tillie works out because it makes her feel strong, helps her sleep better and gives her endorphins. “I lift heavy things. I am always trying to add a little more weight. I set goals and I smash them. And then I set another one and work towards it. I feel stronger than I have in a long time. I work out because it is a stress reliever. Smashing the crap out of a boxing bag after a stressful day in my fast paced corporate job is sometimes exactly what I need. I work out because it makes me physically feel better. I sleep better because my body needs the recovery, and like the good Elle Woods from Legally Blonde pointed out, “Exercise gives you endorphins, endorphins make you happy and happy people don’t kill their husbands”. I work out because I like the challenge. I like beating something that my mind tells me that I shouldn’t be able to do. I like pushing the boundaries. I like being better than I was yesterday. I work out because the time I am in the gym is just for me. Nobody else matters, no other opinions, or agendas or priorities matter. It’s about me. And it’s about what I want, need, or just bloody well feel like. I work out because I like trying new things. Trying out aerial yoga, or barre, or throwing a kettlebell around the room, or swimming lengths of the pool. I love the variety and I love doing things that I never thought I would. At the end of it all I work out because I want to. And honestly, it has nothing to do with my weight.”

I listened to Suger from Suger Coat It and Samara from Blonde Ink‘s new podcast Suger + Ink recently, and their second episode focuses on plus size gym life. It’s well worth a listen and was a really good reminder that I exercise for me.  I asked Suger why she exercises, and she said, “For me, exercise is about my wellbeing – I’m a calmer person, a more focused person and an all round better person when I take the time to exercise, move my body and sweat. I don’t exercise for weight loss, I exercise for the boost it gives my life. And to be honest, I’ve actually never had any real success in the past using exercise for weight loss, most weight loss is cheese and wine related for me … but I think everyone needs to find their ‘why’ when it comes to exercise. What motivates them or drives them to make the time. But for me, I hope that they can find a way to connect to their body, to be in love with it, and give it the loving it deserves. To not be punishing it into complying with some ideal that may never work for them.”

Are you getting where I’m coming from here? There are so many reasons to exercise, and just as many different ways to do it. Don’t worry about a particular kind of exercise not being “for you” because of your shape or size, get in there and give it a go! You never know, you might just love something you never expected to (like me with aqua aerobics!). And if you don’t exercise? Well that’s fine too, because your body is your business, and no one else has any right to judge you for it.

Have you found a kind of exercise that you enjoy?
Let me know what motivates you!