Like most people, I started working out at home...

And somehow found my way here! Lifting heavy circles and running races!

This blog post is for those who started working out for all the wrong reasons.

Not because you wanted to better your health. Not because you wanted to lose weight or knew movement would make your life better. Nope. But because your SO told you your self-worth relied on it.

**This is where I pause and add a disclaimer that I am now in a loving relationship with a wonderful husband, who said nothing of the sort. This applies to my past dating life. **

Okay, disclaimer aside. I started working out at home because I was encouraged to by my ex. You might be wondering why that's a bad thing. On the surface, it wasn't - I did need to move my body more and lose some weight. But the reasons I were given were because of my ex's needs and wants, and so I did not start working out for myself, but because I thought that would improve my relationship.

This mindset becomes problematic when your self-worth becomes wrapped around the ideas other people have of you. At the time, I was overweight, embarrassed by my lack of athleticism and grace in the gym, and ashamed of myself overall. But I didn't need to feel this way. We could have skipped that part.

It was because I felt ashamed that I started doing at home workouts. There's nothing wrong with doing workouts at home, but I knew in my heart I wanted to try weightlifting, and delayed doing so because of my fear of the gym. I did high intensity interval training (HIIT) several times a week in my little student housing apartment. And I hated it each time.

Eventually I worked up the courage to start weightlifting, and despite feeling insecure and unsure of myself overall, weightlifting helped me develop a much more positive relationship with exercise. I could workout based on what made me feel best, and was much happier because of it.

If you love HIIT, that's great! Keep doing you. But if you're like me and want to try something new, I have a few tips to help you work up the courage.

1. Go with a friend who has more experience. They can guide you and support you as you learn your way.

2. It might sound weird, but close your eyes and focus on your breathing before each set. It calms the nerves and reduces the feeling that others are watching you.

3. Find a corner of the gym to make your home for the entire session if you can. When you become more comfortable, start moving to new machines or areas of the gym.

4. Reflect on how you feel after each workout by journaling. I can promise you'll look back on your entries later and recognize how far your mindset has come!

Please skip this super undesirable and torturous workout phase. Experiment, find exercises and movement you love, and work towards developing a mindset where you recognize your health matters because you matter!