Side Effects of not Working out

I have been regularly exercising for few months in a row. Until 3 months ago, just before the wedding. I don’t know if I stopped because there was just so much stress and fatigue for preparations that I needed to rest; or the weather got so hot, that sweating 24/7 did not make me want to sweat even more. I am now slowly restarting and it’s painful (and I feel hopeless). During the break, I noticed a few things and I am pretty sure they are related to not working out (like, at all…)

• I cannot wake up as early as before. I could wake up at 6am, work on my blog for 1h, then head to work and start at 8am. Now, I can barely wake up at 7am, have no time to work on the blog. Just enough to shower, get dressed and eat something quickly. Sometimes I skip breakfast and have a huge coffee instead.
• Very often I wake up with pains all over my body, especially on week-ends, when I sleep in.
• I feel that I am more bloated, even though my diet hasn’t changed. I tried to have meatless & dairy free days to help, but then it gets back to me feeling like a balloon.
• I start to get back pains from sitting at my desk. I have been sitting the same way for the past year, but for 1-2 months or so, I get occasional pains on my back.
• I feel more tired, less motivated, feeling tired after climbing a flight of stairs, losing flexibility in my legs when I pick something from the floor. The only kind of workout I get is when I walk in heels – that works my leg muscles a bit (and makes my toes numb though).

Not working out did not necessarily make me gain weight, maybe a few hundred grams. But it did make me feel bloated, less excited about things in general, and lowered my self-esteem, tending to always see my flaws in the mirror (literally). I do not particularly enjoy working out, only the results and how I feel after (I do enjoy muscle pains, means it worked and the workout is over). So to restart this, I will force myself, slowly, to restart – a bit of indoor cardio that leaves me breathless after 30 seconds, a bit of muscle work, leaving me unable to walk after 5 squats.

I have to think rationally about this, I have to see it as vital for my health, well-being and happiness. Not as a means to lose weight. Never see it as a means to lose weight, because change take time, a lot of time. But I must not care if I lose weight or not. I shouldn’t care. I have to think and realise that exercising does make me feel better, happier and more energetic. Losing weight and gaining muscles is just a bonus.

Here’s to people who absolutely hate sports and exercise, but are doing it because we know it is important for our mind, body & soul!