The Gift of Exercising

I read an article by Brynn Harrington's called "10 Things I Want My Daughter to Know About Working Out" and I was so excited to share what she had to say! It's so important to go outside and enjoy the beauty of nature that God has created for our enjoyment. He also created our bodies for us to enjoy life here on Earth. We need to use these bodies to seek out nature by exercising outside where we can feel the wind move across our face and feel the warmth of the sun spread throughout our bodies. Here are reasons why we should keep our bodies strong and active:

1. Fitness opens doors.  Being healthy and fit can help you see the world differently.  The planet looks different from a bike or a pair of skis than it does from a car or an airplane.  Out in the elements you have the time and space to notice details and meet people and remember smells and bugs and mud and rain and the feeling of warm sunshine on your face.  And those are the moments that make up your life.
2. The bike is the new golf course.  Being fit may help you get a seat at the table.  Networking is no longer restricted to the golf course, and the stronger you are – and the more people you can hang with on the road and trail – the more people you’ll meet.
3. Exercise is a lifestyle, not an event.  Being an active person isn’t about taking a class three times a week at the gym.  It’s about things like biking to the grocery store and parking your car in the back of the lot and walking instead of taking a cab and catching up with friends on a hiking trail instead of a bar stool.
4. Health begets health.  Healthy behavior inspires healthy behavior.  Exercise.  Healthy eating.  Solid sleep.  Positive relationships.  These things are all related.
5. Endorphins help you cope.  A good sweat session can clear the slate.  You will have days when nothing seems to go right…when you’re dizzy with frustration or crying in despair.  A workout can often turn things around.
6. Working out signals hard-working.  The discipline required to work out on a regular basis signals success.  Someone recently told me they are way more likely to hire marathon runners and mountain climbers because of the level of commitment that goes into those pursuits.
7. If you feel beautiful, you look beautiful.  Looking beautiful starts on the inside.  And being fit and strong feels beautiful.
8. Nature rules.  And if you’re able to hike/run/bike/swim/ski/snowshoe, you can see more of it.
9. Little eyes are always watching.  We learn from each other.  You may have a daughter—or a niece or a neighbor or a friend – one day.  And that little girl will be watching and listening to everything she hears you say and do.  What messages do you want her to hear? 

• In the end, exercising outside and seeing the beauty of this Earth will simply make us happier. Have fun when you exercise. Feel good about yourself and exercise for you. 
• Life is about hearing the pine needles crunching under your feet and knowing what if feels like to cross a finish line, and how special it is to see the world on foot. It's about hard work and self sufficiency. It's about time you stepped out into nature.