I asked my fellow blogger friend Nieta J. Gates of SimplyCleanChEATing.com why fitness is important. We can all get hyped on getting fit and making a change for our lives, but what does it really mean. It means something different to each and every one of us. Nieta has an amazing weight loss story as you can see.

Nieta has given us 5 Reasons Fitness is Important to her. I’m sure you can relate. Enjoy her write up!

“5 Reasons Fitness is Important to Me”

1. Escape

Thought I was going to say “to look good” first right? Nah, you can’t look good if you’re rocking an orange jumpsuit. My life is comprised of a demanding job, a busy independent 7 y.o, husband, and blog. Working out puts everything on hold and I get to focus on ME. 1-2 hours 6 days a week I push myself to the peak and not have to think about the GRIND. One of my taglines is “Be a little selfish,” because it’s okay to do that. That time is mine to relax, relate, release.

2. Progress

For me T25 was T60. The first time I did this Shaun T program that only takes 25 minutes, it took me anywhere from 45 minutes to an hour to get through it. I had the pause button on standby because the workout was that hard. Now I don’t break a sweat and talk ish to Shaun like, “that’s all you got?!” Fitness is about training your mind to realize your potential. When you are consistent and commit to something, you will amaze yourself with what you can accomplish.

3. Confidence

Non-existent. I had NONE. On my blog I’ve shared my stories of growing up, feeling like the odd girl, doing what I’m supposed to do but staying in my shell. There was a time when I HATED social events. I would think I wasn’t “good enough” and I would always find something non-attention attracting to “hide” in the crowd. My confidence is solid not because I’m physically fit, but I feel great in my own skin and refuse to not give that power to anyone. IT’s given me the confidence to take risks, to be more vocal, to step outside of my comfort zone.
Freedom
Besides cooking it’s the one thing that I control. No one can take it from me. I can choose to go as fast or slow, as heavy or light as I want. Fitness gives me the chances to explore areas of pushing myself I might not otherwise have tried. It has also taught me patience and to trust the process. This isn’t a sprint, fitness is forever. Every day won’t be kale days, you’ll have donut days, but if you are doing this for YOU, take it one day at a time, and you only have yourself to prove it to.

4. Freedom

Besides cooking it’s the one thing that I control. No one can take it from me. I can choose to go as fast or slow, as heavy or light as I want. Fitness gives me the chances to explore areas of pushing myself I might not otherwise have tried. It has also taught me patience and to trust the process. This isn’t a sprint, fitness is forever. Every day won’t be kale days, you’ll have donut days, but if you are doing this for YOU, take it one day at a time, and you only have yourself to prove it to.

5. Family

While trying to escape from them (See reason #1) I also have a responsibility to be around for as long as I can. They are my world and I owe it to my son to be able to do things with him and be the parent he so deserves. Our children watch us, we are their first role models …i.e… he now walks around saying to us “Muscles, I’m strong.” Why be the parent who’s tired all of the time? Can’t take them to the park? No one is saying you have to be this peak of physical perfection, but I never want to have tell my son “I can’t” or “Not today” because I’m not taking care of myself.

Being “about this fit life” has given me life. You can’t control your job, bills, relationships, but you can control how and why you take care of yourself. Find your own balance. Fitness is trial and error, what works for me, might not work for you. Fitness isn’t just about looking like an IG post, but perfects your mental health. You can’t put a price on peace of mind. Find your “escape” because you probably don’t look good in orange either. 😉

Follow Nieta’s blog SimplyCleanChEATing.com