Reasons I exercise that have nothing to do with weight loss....

Yesterday I went to yoga for the first time in ages and I fell in love with it again.  Emily Dorman instructed the class; I've known her for a couple of years and just like every other class I've ever had with her she was kind, encouraging, and very positive.  Yoga is a way of life for Emily.  Yesterday's class reminded me that many of my goals with exercise have very little to do with weightloss and while the majority of this blog is about weightloss often fitness and weightloss have very little to do with one another.

So I thought I'd make a list!  A list of reasons why I enjoy exercise that have nothing to do with calories burned, pounds lost, or smaller pants sizes.

1) It makes me strong- building strength gives me better posture, makes everyday activities like carrying groceries easier, and gives me greater stamina.
2) Cameraderie.  I like zumba and other classes becauses the women at my gym are my friends.  We get through the challenges together.  We build each other up, so to speak.
3) Solitude.  Running gives me a sense of aloneness that I do enjoy which is probably why I sometimes crave it.
4) Energy- the more I exercise the better I feel overall. 
5) Mobility.  The is probably the most important one that people forget.  I don't want to exercise for a few years I want to have mobility for a lifetime.  Yoga and pilates are especially designed to enhance that.  I want to be an 80 year old woman that can walk up my steps or tend to my garden, etc.  I want mobility my whole life and exercise increases the likelihood that this will happen.

So there's a list, a very short list, of why I exercise that have nothing to do with weight loss.