I want to thank you all from the bottom of my heart for the flood of support and conversation on Project Bikini Body Break Up (Part 1). You have no idea how excited it made me that so many of you helped me inspire ladies everywhere to rock the utmost confidence regardless of whether or not they exercised in two days, two months, or two years. And serve as a reminder that a few weeks without exercise will not alter our physical states, but it might just improve our mental ones.
Ali's one of those spectacular souls who makes us wish we loved running as much as she does. With a B.S. in Exercise Science from The University of Tampa and more miles than she can even count under her belt, Ali became a Personal Trainer and has been passionate about a balanced approach to fitness and nutrition ever since. She's now eager to share her experiences and insight with the blog-o-sphere and I couldn't be more excited to have her here.
Activity VS Exercise - What's the Difference!?
YES.
Both activity and exercise require some movement, however both have different mindsets. When you think of activity and exercise, what do you think of? Activities I think of are social, fun, minimal cost (sometimes), and something that interests you. Before, I thought of exercise as costly (gym membership), un-motivating, and usually done alone. NOW, I’m a HUGE advocate of exercise.
I think our population is so forced to exercise, that the “activity” idea goes out the window. Exercise to most people is considered a chore, not fun, and requires a gym membership. Exercise should be done because we love our bodies and want to move, not because we hate how we look.
On the other hand, I know a lot of people who made the transition to becoming more active and have found an ACTIVITY that they love. Key word here is *activity.* What do you think about when you think of activity? I think of running, swimming, biking, rowing, rock climbing, hiking, stand-up paddle boarding, group fitness class, walking. etc. All these have a few things that include movement (a component of exercise), being social, having fun, some cost, interesting, motivating, rewarding, the list goes on! Point here is that I love running as much as I do because I don’t see it as a chore, work, or something that has to be done in a gym (although treadmills exist for that reason). I love it because it CAN be social, as interesting as I want (races, challenges, volunteering), fun, requires minimal costs which are optional (gear, race entries), as well as EXERCISE that doesn’t feel mundane or forced. This post is not about trying to sell you on running, but to find an activity you enjoy that doesn’t feel like exercise. Gyms and indoor cardio equipment have a place, but they don’t last as long as a life long interest in an activity does.
At the end of the day, I like to call this activity, whatever it is you choose,RECREATION because that’s what it boils down to. This isn’t a guaranteed way to get fit fast, but this perspective will help jumpstart a new and continued fitness routine for years to come!
~ Fin ~
And tell me,
What's your favorite activity?
Are you a fun of shopping cardio like me or a runner like Ali?