How Falling In Love With Fitness Has Changed My Life
“There’s something different about you,” my friend commented one morning over coffee. “You have this newfound glow and you seem so happy lately.” She gave me a smirk then leaned in before saying, “You’ve met someone, haven’t you? Is there a new man in your life?”
Although there was no new man in my life, I had fallen in love.
Fitness had become my new sweetheart, ever since I decided to get a gym membership.
I loved fitness.
I cared for it.
I couldn’t stop talking about it even when the topic was getting stale for everyone around me. Yes, they’d all roll their eyes, but I knew deep in my heart (and abs) that fitness was the one for me.
Giddy excitement would ooze out of me as I’d wake up in the morning because I knew I’d get to have another day of love and adventure at the gym.
I’d make playlists for it.
I loved fitness unconditionally no matter how hard it got because I knew it would always be there to make me feel good about myself. Really good about myself. Even when things got rough (which let me tell you, they did). Even when the feelings weren’t mutual.
Some days I would love fitness, and it wouldn’t love me back. Sometimes it would even hurt me. But for the most part, it gave me a real high and because of my daily exercise, many other aspects of my life started to improve. Music became better. Food was more flavorful. All the colors of the world were more vibrant and saturated. My relationships with friends and family started to improve because of my spritely mood that would come from all the endorphins being released.
For a long time, I had been looking for something to fill a void in my life. Mostly, I would try to fill that void with a romantic relationship. I thought if I had a man to take care of me and make me feel loved and beautiful then I would be complete as a human being.
I desired someone special to make me feel excited about life. I was lucky enough to have these kinds of relationships for the past several years with a few lovely (and not so lovely) partners. But having these men make me feel special could only go so far. It didn’t matter how beautiful they would make me feel if I didn’t feel beautiful myself.
That is why adding fitness into my daily routine has changed my life once and for all. Instead of relying on a romantic partner to take care of me, I take care of myself. Allowing my body and mind to be set in the healthiest state it can possibly get to is the kind of care that no one else can give you but yourself. Instead of absentmindedly swiping through Tinder to find some random dude that’ll make me feel good about who I am, I strap on my gym shoes and hop on the treadmill so I can do it myself.
Now does finding love in the fitness lifestyle mean I’ll never want a romantic relationship with someone in the human flesh? Of course not. If the right person comes along at the right time, I would love to give it a shot. But for now I’m not going to go out of my way looking for someone because with this newfound healthy journey I’m on, I already feel complete.
So if you ever feel like you need a partner to make you happy, whether you have one or not, try taking care of yourself first. You don’t even need a gym membership! Taking a run down the street or jogging up and down the stairs of your living space is all it takes sometimes. Give yourself some love, just try it. I guarantee you’ll fall in love.
