I know this is a cardiophile blog, but I want to make this post about my entire body for a change. Here goes.
So, I started working out almost two years ago in order to focus after transferring to a more intensive college. In my efforts to improve my mind, I legitimately didn’t expect to experience any positive changes in my body, but lo and behold, I have. Similarly, I didn’t expect to develop the love and affection for my heart muscle that I have but making and feeling my heart work so hard did just that.
Over the past 5 or so months, I’ve experienced considerable increases in my cardiovascular fitness and my muscle strength, definition, and tone, as a result of my drastically increasing the length and intensity of my workouts. I can move faster for longer periods of time without tiring, my legs are bigger and stronger, and my arms, chest, and back all feel more powerful than before. My shoulders, biceps, and triceps are all more defined, and the veins in my forearms are slowly revealing themselves. My lungs are healthier and stronger, so I’ve needed my inhaler a lot less lately, and I can breathe better. I’m also eating better; I choose salad over fries more frequently, I focus more on the nutrients in food, I’ve dramatically cut back on junk food and soda, and I drink so much more water than I did three years ago.
I’ve also taken off about 14 pounds from my 5′6″ frame, going from 141 lbs (at my last doctor’s visit in August 2015) to about 127 lbs. Obviously, I didn’t need to lose any weight whatsoever, but I’m convinced having lost that weight (which I assume was dangerous, visceral fat) has made my organs (my heart and lungs, in addition to my digestive and endocrine organs) work and feel better. Literally, my insides feel better than before.
The upshot of all this? I am more in love and connected with my body than ever before. I gave my body the gift of exercise, and it responded by growing healthier and stronger, just to support me, my health, and my activity levels. I am in love with this one and only body of mine, this body that permits me to interact with the world. My body loves me, cares for me, changes and improves itself for me. I can abuse it, and it will bounce back with minimal complaints. I’ve even been considering getting a massage for the first time ever, as a treat to my hard-working, healthy, strong, and resilient body.
And the thing is, I’m lucky my body can do this -- there are many other bodies that can’t (and those bodies deserve love, too). Working out to improve my health and strength is the best way I’ve found so far for me to show my body how much I value and appreciate its resilience and devotion to me. I’m still frustrated with my human need to eat, sleep, drink water, etcetera, but I am deeply in love with my body. To be sure, I’ve never hated my body or wanted to harm it, but now that I’ve felt how truly amazing my body is through exercise, I’ve fallen completely in love with it. I know this was long, but I’ve been feeling escalating amounts of love, affection, and empathy towards my body, and I finally needed to get it out in writing.
To anyone reading this: I’ve heard health defined as the relationship between you and your body, while I’ve also heard the relationship between you and your body described as the most intimate one you will ever have. I wanted to leave you with those two thoughts to consider your relationship with your own body since you read the five paragraph essay I wrote about mine.