Day one was rough.

It felt terrible.

I don’t know why, but walking in to the gym just felt like I was a fake, someone who didn’t belong trying to pretend like I belonged. I used to love the gym so it felt strange to feel this way.

Convinced everyone was staring at me and judging me, I fumbled through my new workout papers and watched my little instructional videos on YouTube.

But I got through.

Day two and day three were magical. I kid you not, I felt instant results after day one. My appetite started increasing, I started eating healthier full meals, I stayed active the rest of the day, my mood boosted. I am convinced sweating is one of the best things for us.

I was elated. This magical feeling got me thinking, dang, why wasn’t I going to the gym sooner? And even on my off day I went in to run and stretch (I made it five minutes running).

(Also I would like to say, I completely understand why people don’t go to the gym. It takes so much time. Thankfully right now I had extra time on my hands and was looking for something to do, and I’ve found it is really enjoyable with time on your hands. Like cooking. If you don’t have much time, I think there are amazing ways to incorporate movement and exercise into your life without having to “go to the gym.” Kitchen dance parties, for example.)

And Friday, my final day in my workout regime, for whatever reason the motivation was gone. What got me through was that I had already put the other days in, so it seemed like a small amount of effort to just workout for even a half hour and then the prize of accomplishing my first full workout week. So I stuck it through. And you know, I felt good. My body was already adjusting to the squats. What at first felt so awkward and like I was going to hurt myself, I now felt more at ease and confident and stable in the movement. I love that progress.

They say that when you are a beginner you see quick results at first. I like that.

It reminds me of The Alchemist too. I recently read it. There’s a part where they talk about how when you first start something, you experience beginner’s luck or things go really well for you, and it’s just a blast of momentum that can help encourage you to keep going, and that can motivate you. Later things can get harder, but that first gush of improvement can help see us through. We remember what it’s like to see results.

I’m thankful for that.