Making Life Changes Begins With Exercise

by Lin
(Rhode Island, U.S.A.)

Four years ago, I was going through a divorce. My then sixteen year old daughter was in the middle of receiving chemotherapy treatment for bone cancer. I was depressed, antisocial, and lethargic.

I knew that life was going to be completely different once my divorce went through, but I just didn’t have the energy or motivation to deal with it. I was never very independent, and I was scared to face the world as a single mom. Dealing with my daughter’s cancer had taken everything out of me, and I let my health deteriorate. I began to eat only when it was necessary, I very rarely left the house or even moved, and I skipped my own doctor’s visits.

Once the divorce was finalized, and my daughter was about midway through her treatment, a friend of mine told me I looked horrible. It’s an awful thing to hear, but it was the truth.

She suggested that I start doing yoga to get my mind back to where it needed to be. I knew that yoga was supposed to really center a person, but I wasn’t sure I believed it.

I finally decided to give it a try. I found a power yoga DVD and bought it. It sat on a shelf for a month before I used it.

After the first week of doing the hour long exercises, I realized I was changing inside. I had something to get motivated over. I wanted to be able to do all the positions like the people on the video could. I eventually got better and better at it, and my entire mindset changed.

I was happier, more energetic, and I could face anything that came my way. For me, exercising wasn’t just about getting healthy or getting back in shape, it was about ambition. It meant having something to look forward to, something to aspire to.

Now I view all types of exercise in the same light. Whenever I am feeling down or defeated, I try something new, just so I can have a different challenge to face. Exercise can truly change your life, if you allow yourself to take that first scary step.