It’s always great when I have a “real-life” friend want to share a part of their life with me on my blog. This article is written from my friend Sarah at She is Clothed With Strength…and that she is! I have watched her transform her body, run half marathons, and encourage others to do the same.
How Fitness Saved Me
Hi Everyone! This is Sarah from She Is Clothed With Strength. I’ll start by saying that I am a fitness fanatic, nutrition geek, homeschooling mother of one, devoted wife, and Jack Russell Terrier Lover.
When Jackie invited me to write for her blog I wanted to write something EPIC. Something that will rally the troops to the gym or the road but ultimately I came here. What better story to share than my own. * shy grin *
I do love fitness. I love talking about it. I love researching it. I love teaching about it and writing about it. I guess you could say I am a fitness geek. Not only do I like to learn new moves that work but I also like to learn WHY those movements work…down to the muscle fibers. Gah! It is great stuff. But, I promise I won’t go into any ‘boring to other people’ details.
Today I want to talk about how fitness really did save my life.
Fitness is a fairly new addition to my life and it is a welcome one at that.
Let’s go back quite a few years.
I have never been an athletic person. I loved to swim, ride my bike, go on hikes, and jump rope. I was never remarkable at anything I did. Honestly, I preferred to read my books and create from within the house. I enjoyed the outdoors but reading curled up on the couch was far more attractive. I went through phases of running but they never really stuck for very long.
I was never a big girl growing up. I was slender but I don’t think I would ever say I was thin either.
There was one thing that was always present in my life…
Depression
The Blues
Melacholy
Never feeling good enough
There were some pretty dark times in middle school and high school. I never talked about it. I suffered in silence. I am not a very open person by default. I am getting better about being more vulnerable with people but that is a more recent development. Until then, I was quiet. I am sorry to any family members or friends who just never knew. It was my fault that I never shared.
Okay, onward….
Ultimately, it was my faith that saved my literal life. I really don’t think my I would have made it out of that pit alive without finding my faith in Jesus. He saved my soul.
But, it doesn’t end there. Just because I have faith does not mean I don’t still struggle. I am not perfect and won’t be on this side of heaven.
Good thing and bad things have happened. I’ve gotten married. We had our son. Job loss. My Mom died suddenly. Secondary Infertility. Etc. Etc. Etc.
One thing was always consistent in the good and the bad. I always ‘medicated’ with food. Stress eating. Sadness eating. Happy eating. Celebrating Eating.
Despite all the amazing things in my life I always kept one foot in that pit of depression.
One day I decided to start running again. I wasn’t good at it. It is hard to run when you weigh a lot. I was slow. But, I did it.
Slowly, my moods started to stabilize. I lived for the endorphin rush that running provided. I got addicted.
Then guess what happened. After lots of 5K’s and two half marathons and training for a full marathon I had to hang up my running shoes. My knees just couldn’t take it. I grieved the loss of running after I limped the last 3 miles of a long run in tears because I was too stubborn to call my husband for a ride home.
At that point, I knew I needed to do something. I couldn’t quit my fitness journey.
That’s when my husband and I walked into the weight room at the gym. We were completely lost and wandering. With fits and starts, we found our groove in the gym. We trained together for a few months until his job prevented us from that. I found a program I loved and found my way around the gym again but this time alone.
Now, I am totally addicted to the gym.
I have found my groove.
I am actually good at this.
I have found my anti-depressant.
I actually discovered that the reason I was never “thin” in high school was because I naturally carry a lot of muscle. So, there really WAS something I was good at. It just took 32 years to find.
There is a meme that I have seen circulating on Facebook that says “Food is the most abused anti-anxiety drug and exercise is the most under used anti-depressant.”
That is TRUTH right there, folks.
In college I had a professor in my Abnormal Psychology class who said that the first step in therapy for his depressed clients was to have them go out for a run every day.
Do I still get sad and depressed at times. You bet I do.
What do I do now? I go to the gym and I squat and deadlift. I do a butt load of burpees. I run sprints on the treadmill. I get those endorphins to such a high level that I can’t help but feel good about myself, my family, and my world.
I am addicted to endorphins.
Exercise saved me. It has brought my life back. I am better Wife, Mom, Friend, and Person. And I won’t stop talking about it. It saved me and it could very well save you.
Find Sarah Online:
Sarah is the Wife of Chris and the Mother of Caleb. When she is not squatting, deadlifting, jump roping, or dying from burpees she is homeschooling and making her house a home. Fitness is her passion and she longs to help more women see their worth through the transforming power of exercise.
I have a strong family history of depression, and when my brother committed suicide, I knew that I had to start thinking seriously about fighting depression in my own life. I started training for a 5k and ran for a few years, but when our second child arrived, I just couldn’t figure out how to fit exercise in anymore. We joined a gym in February, and it has been worth every penny to have a place to escape and exercise. Thanks for sharing your story!
That’s how I started getting back to fitness Sarah @ Revolutionary Mom. Same exact thing happened with my sister…I needed it to fight the depression. That and eating Paleo saved me!
It really is amazing what exercise can do for your moods. I am always amazed by how much better I feel after a good sweat session. There are days when I don’t feel like it and I just want to punch something but I make myself go and I am ALWAYS thankful I did. Fitness keeps me level. I am glad to hear from someone else who is experiencing the same thing. Thanks for sharing, Sarah (my name too!) @Revolutionary Mom!!!
Thank you so much for sharing your story. I have a similar story. Fitness has finally become my thing. The gym is where. I am happiest. I went through some very dark time also and finding my way to the gym saved me too. Your story is not only encouraging it is empowering.