Estimated Reading Time: 17 Mins
Introduction
We’re all aware that consistent exercise delivers visible physical results over time.
More importantly, when we stay committed, we also experience internal benefits.
We become stronger, our immune system improves and as our muscle mass develops, so too does our stamina.
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I won’t be covering the benefits of exercise today, but if you’d like to explore them further, Everyday Health provides an excellent overview.
The National Institutes of Health also offers a more comprehensive picture.
Our focus today, however, is on the often-overlooked benefits of exercise that extend beyond the physical and biological realm.
More specifically, its impact on who you are as a person — your character.
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As someone who only adopted an active lifestyle in my mid-thirties, I’ve learned a great deal along the way that I feel isn’t discussed nearly enough.
Sticking to a workout routine does so much more than improve your physical fitness.
It positively influences every aspect of your life.
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More Than Muscle
Many people struggle to exercise regularly because they’re simply too exhausted, have other commitments, or feel they don’t have enough time.
To some extent, that’s understandable — it does require effort, commitment, and persistence.
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For those who are able to begin and stick with it, the transformation extends over time.
We gradually become better versions of ourselves.
It builds self-confidence and increases self-respect because you recognise your ability to keep doing something that is genuinely challenging.
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More importantly, through consistent effort and persistence, you begin to take yourself seriously.
You start to see yourself as someone who follows through on their commitments and that feeling inspires further action.
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Procrastinating is easy.
Maintaining a lifestyle of diligence, discipline, and commitment however, not so much.
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Committing to discipline over the long term will demand more from you than you ever thought yourself capable of when you first began.
It’s a deliberate decision you make each day to keep going.
Regardless of how you may feel, how busy you are, or how unmotivated you may become, you act anyway.
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Whether the conditions in your life are positive or negative, and whether you feel happy, joyful, sad, or depressed, you keep moving regardless.
That is hard to do.
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But if there’s one piece of advice I can offer, one I remind myself of on my worst days, it’s this.
Working out will never leave you feeling worse off.
The pain of progress is temporary, but the character it builds lasts a lifetime.
Let me share a direct example from my own life.
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Training Through Turbulence
My mother became unwell at the end of 2023.
At the same time, my job had become exceptionally stressful.
We were preparing for a major launch — and our first one at that.
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It was all hands-on-deck, yet despite everyone’s efforts, the work was becoming increasingly chaotic.
When my manager fell ill and had to take time away, the pressure quickly mounted, particularly given the size of our team.
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A great deal of responsibility now fell on my shoulders.
Tasked with leading the campaign, I was expected to drive things forward as the second in command.
I was being pulled in every direction.
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“Can you confirm whether this is what you want?”
“Do you know where I can find this?”
The requests and questions from colleagues across different departments seemed endless.
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Amid the chaos, my mother’s health took a turn for the worse as she suffered severe side effects from a new medication she had been prescribed.
I called the emergency services who advised it would take 20 minutes for an ambulance to arrive.
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Rather than wait, I helped my mother into my car and drove her to the hospital myself.
She was admitted almost immediately.
In my managers absence, I emailed our interim assistant director to let them know what had happened.
By then, it was already past 2am, and I knew I wouldn’t be able to attend work the following day.
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The Need for Release
The responsibility of managing my mother’s care, while also trying to remain a source of strength for her, had me experiencing a great deal of anguish and anxiety within.
Watching her suffer was difficult enough.
Attempting to keep up with work responsibilities because I knew my team were reliant on me, made the situation even harder to bear.
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Despite the weight of everything I was dealing with, I still worried about how my absences might impact my colleagues.
Caring for others can already be incredibly demanding.
Many of us rarely take the time, or even feel we have the time to ensure we’re OK ourselves.
Operating on autopilot made it easy to forget that I needed rest, support and care too.
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Following her admission, my mum had numerous hospital appointments for scans, blood tests, and other assessments.
As her carer, I was by her side throughout.
Even after she was discharged and returned home, the appointments continued.
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In January 2024, I made the decision to leave my job.
The combination of a highly stressful work environment and the demands of my personal life were taking a toll on my mental wellbeing and something needed to give.
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Discipline Under Pressure
Through it all, however, I maintained my regular gym routine and trust me when I say, it wasn’t easy.
I had to work around hospital appointments and until I left my job, the demands of that too.
There were gym sessions I had where I just felt like breaking down in tears.
I wasn’t sleeping well, and the stress was affecting my diet, but I kept going — four times a week, just as I had committed to.
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Now, you may think I was mad.
It may well have appeared that way from the outside, but I knew how important it was for my wellbeing.
To care for my mother effectively, I needed to equally take care of myself.
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Looking back on it today, it still surprises me.
How was I able to maintain my gym routine during such a mentally demanding period?
What I didn’t realise at the time was that the discipline had already become a way of life.
Regardless of my life circumstances, consistency had become a habit — and that was the key.
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Approaching Health with Purpose
Think of it this way, we don’t wake up each morning and decide whether we’re going to attend work.
It’s an obligation we fulfil as part of our contractual responsibilities.
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Our employers expect our attendance.
The income we earn is often the incentive that keeps us consistent, whether we feel like it or not.
We must simply apply the same mindset to our physical health, noting that the rewards come from staying consistent.
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We’re constantly encouraged to look after our health, yet cigarettes, alcohol, recreational drugs, and unhealthy foods remain readily available.
At the same time, vast industries exist to help treat conditions that can arise from many of these lifestyle choices.
We must not forget that they also stand to gain financially from the demise of our health.
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It should prompt us to ask ourselves one question.
How much responsibility for our health are we willing to place in the hands of others?
Ultimately, no one should have a greater stake in our wellbeing than we do, which is why caring for ourselves must be our top priority.
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Have you ever stopped to consider why we’re urged to insure our cars, homes, phones, and almost every other valuable possession we own?
In some cases it’s even a compulsory requirement.
Yet the same level of attention is rarely given to safeguarding our lives despite it being the most valuable one of them all.
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When it comes to our health and wellbeing, we must take proactive responsibility.
When we adopt a relentless commitment to our health, that mindset begins to influence how we approach every other aspect of life.
So, what might a shift in your perception of good health look like in practice?
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Reward Beyond the Mirror
Let’s say you’re working out at home a few days each week and doing so consistently.
Soon enough, weeks turn into months and months into years, and through that process of discipline, you create a positive shift in your energy and outlook.
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All of a sudden, you find yourself solving problems more effectively, worrying less, and approaching challenges with a greater sense of optimism.
When setbacks occur, you’re quicker to recover and move forward.
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You begin to handle life with greater courage and confidence and are less likely to be taken for granted.
Now more principled and focused, you find yourself carrying a calmer energy.
Rather than comparing yourself to others, your only benchmark becomes the person you were yesterday.
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You begin to earn the respect of others because they can see the confidence and belief you have in yourself.
Your desire to pursue your dreams and aspirations grows, and you start taking intentional steps into the unknown because you now trust your reliability.
What once seemed like an impossible journey towards better health now becomes your reality.
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You begin to apply the discipline and consistency you’ve developed into other areas of your life, dedicating more time to planning and taking meaningful action.
Your perception improves; you feel more alive, energised, and engaged, and the possibilities before you seem endless.
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The process is, therefore, the most important part of the journey.
While the weight loss and physical gains are rewarding, it’s the process you undertake to reach that point that truly builds a better you.
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Shaping Who We Are
Physical activity is essential for both our physical and mental wellbeing, but it’s the commitment to it that helps us realise our true potential.
There’s a TikTok video featuring a gentleman who summed this up perfectly here.
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My message today is simple.
We can turn our lives around for the better at any point we choose.
Whatever has happened in the past, and whatever circumstances we may be facing today, have no bearing on our future capability.
It is a personal decision — one that is entirely possible and unquestionably worth making.
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I’ve spent almost six years working to improve myself.
The greatest benefit of all the small changes I’ve made over time, isn’t the physical transformation — it’s the person I’ve become in the process.
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I used to be lackadaisical and largely unbothered, with little regard for myself, appearing confident on the outside while inwardly being unsettled.
Procrastination was my closest companion, and I grew comfortable with a stagnant way of life.
I ate poorly, lived a completely sedentary lifestyle, and spent my days moving between work, home, television, and unproductive socials that drained both my time and money.
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When I hit my heaviest weight, I made a promise to myself that I’d do things differently — slowly, sustainable, and in a way I could maintain.
I’ve shared my weight-loss journey in full, including photos, in my blog post ‘Losing Weight Right’.
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I knew it would take time, but I was prepared to be patient if it meant a chance at changing my lifestyle for the better.
Working away in silence and holding myself accountable took literal years, but eventually, I achieved what I set out to do and my life has never been better.
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Summary
The journey has had its distractions, ups and downs, and more than a few pitfalls along the way.
Yet the mindset I’ve developed throughout the process has helped me bounce back every time.
Today, I’m 20Kg lighter than I was when I made that life-changing decision in 2019.
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In many ways, I look and feel younger than I did a decade ago.
In the video below, I share my journey, the challenges I encountered, and the lessons I learned including photos, in the hope that it inspires you to begin today.
See investing in your health as an investment in the person you are becoming because, believe me when I say, the changes will extend far beyond the physical.
Inwardly, outwardly, and mentally — for the better.
Give the best version of yourself the opportunity to exist.
