Why I Started Exercising for the RIGHT Reasons (and a Review of the #LuLaRoeJade Leggings)

Callie, the amazing LuLaRoe consultant behind Rocking and Roeing gave me a big discount on these leggings in exchange for a blog post and social media love. All opinions are mine.

Working out is hard, am I right? I mean we know we should do it. There are so many reasons to do it. To stay healthy, to stay in shape, to keep our body young, to get the blood pumping, to stay energized, to chase those endorphins, etc. And, of course, some people exercise to lose weight or look a certain way.

I've started to eat intuitively and I've let that mindset bleed into exercising too. I no longer work out because I'm supposed to or because I want to look up to society standards. I work out because it makes me feel good and my body craves it.

I’m currently on a journey to cultivate a healthier self-image and love myself for me, here and now. A big part of that journey is calling out diet culture and ignoring unhealthy “rules” and “standards” set by our society.

I mentioned this briefly in my Monthly Goals for August post, but I have been trying to eat intuitively for the food part of this journey. As for the exercise part, I’m just trying to do what feels good. There’s not a title for it like “intuitive exercise” or “intuitive body movement” (that I’ve found, at least), but the concept is very similar to intuitive eating. And really, exercise is addressed in the book Intuitive Eating because it all goes hand in hand. It’s all about being mindful and listening to your body when it comes to everything. Not just food.

Basically, I want to work out because it makes me feel good. I love the endorphins it gives me. I love feeling strong. I love feeling my body change and accomplishing physical goals. I am NOT doing it because society tells me I should. Or because I’m trying to look a certain way.

Or at least that’s the mindset I want to have. But changing to this mindset is easier said then done. Toxic diet and exercise culture is everywhere we look today. Society is constantly bombarding us with harmful ideas and concepts!

But anyway, I digress.

When I try to change my mindset and workout because I want to and not because I have to, it’s hard to stay motivated (though I think it’s always hard to stay motivated to exercise). Doing nothing is always easier than doing something. And since my new way of thinking tells me I don’t have to work out today because of any rule or weight loss program, I simply don’t do it more often than I do. So now I’m also on a quest to find some kind of exercise that I enjoy so much I would rather get up and do it than remain sitting on the couch.

And that’s tough.

One thing I’ve discovered is that I don’t do so well with HIIT cardio workouts. Really any cardio is just hard for me right now, in the shape I’m in. And I’ve actually developed exercise induced migraines when I do too much cardio that I’m not used to. So that’s fun.

But I’m pretty good at weight training. Especially arm day. And I love how strong I feel when lifting weights (even if I’m still only using 5lb dumbbells).

And I have always enjoyed pilates. Especially Blogilates (Cassie is the best and she has a lot of FREE workouts on YouTube).

And I like to do yoga when I’m feeling stiff or sore or just when I want to feel good without too much effort. My friend Jessy just told me about his awesome channel YouTube channel, Yoga with Adriene, that looks like a lot of fun. I’m excited to try it out.

Anyway, in the past, I’ve tried all kinds of strict workout programs. When I say strict, I don’t necessarily mean hard. I just mean there was a schedule to stick to. I’ve tried the 21 Day Fix from Beachbody a couple times as well as the 21 Day Fix Extreme and a couple other Beachbody programs. I’ve also tried to stick to Cassie from Blogilates‘ monthly workout calendars in the past.

The problem was, I would stick to these schedules pretty well for a week or two but then I’d miss a day or two for whatever reason. And with my type-A personality, I would have to go back and catch up. I’m not the type of person who can skip days of anything and just jump back in where I’m supposed to be.

So now, I’m letting myself just do whatever feels right that day. No more schedules. No more cardio on Mondays, arms on Tuesdays, legs on Wednesdays etc. I’m throwing out the rules and focusing on one day at a time. And so far I’m “exercising” a lot more often than I have been the last couple months.

OH! And guess what! I found a form of “cardio” that I might just sort of love. I still get somewhat nauseous when I do it, but it’s more worth it.

It’s trail running.

Of course, I’m not really trail running at this point. I am not in that kind of shape. I’ve been walking/running some trails near my apartment.

Pearson and I have gone hiking a lot this summer now that we live in the North West and it’s been amazing! I love the outdoors. I love the sights and smells. I love the fresh air in my lungs. And I love the good tired feeling I have after a good long hike.

So I decided to start walking trails around here for exercise during the week. And sometimes I feel like running for a minute or so and then walking for a couple minutes. It’s sort of like the couch to 5K programs you may have seen. But I’m not following a program. I’m just doing what feels right. Running when I feel like it and walking to catch my breath.

But anyway, that’s enough of my babbling. The point of this post was to encourage you to workout because you like the way it makes you feel. Not because you’re supposed to. And to find a workout that you enjoy. Don’t just blindly follow the schedule of the exercise program you purchased.

The other point of this post was to tell you about these awesome Jade athletic leggings from LuLaRoe. My girl Callie, of Rocking and Roeing, ordered them directly from the warehouse for me. Aren’t they great? I love the color and love that they make working out bright and fun!

I usually wear a 10 or 12 pant size and I got a large. If I’m being honest, I probably could have gone with a medium. These slide down around the wast a bit and they even bagged in the crotch when I wore them around the apartment. I thought I was going to be pulling them up the whole time I was on the trail but I wasn’t. Despite their being slightly too big, they still stayed in place even while running!

I was told by another member of the Rocking and Roeing VIP Facebook group that the Jades that are full print (like mine) have a lot more give. LuLaRoe also has some that are mostly compression fabric with only printed side panels. In a pair like that, I’d probably have to go with a large.

Anyway, overall these leggings are a hit in my book. I’m excited to wear them on the trails until it gets too cold. And then I’ll still wear them for yoga and pilates inside of course. Oh and as an added little bonus, they have a perfect little pocket on the inside of the waistband for my car key fob!