Why I don’t workout anymore - I’m leaner and healthier!

Hey friends! Today I’m sharing why I don’t workout anymore. After years of working on regularly, I have stopped working out for the past year and yet I’m leaner, healthier - and still fit! Have you gone through a similar experience? I’d love to hear from you.
Do you workout hard all the time or take a more relaxed approach?

Xoxo
Heather

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[leccionesdevida.podcast]

i’m just not meant to be a gym shark lol I hate working out, I like to dance and run and yoga but I find no fun in burpees

[devinDD]

Thank you so much for for sharing this! Finally, someone having the courage and speaking a truth that needs to be heard. For some even working out 3x a week is exhausting, doesn’t make them any less of a person, weak or unfit, it just is. As you say, walking, yoga, good diet and being happy is a “work out” as well. Three cheers Heather, well done!

[AprilClayton]

I stopped working out and my water retention resolved.

[sarahmoller]

Thank you so so much for this.
I'm sick and tired of all these fitness geeks who try to make me feel bad for not being into a hardcore workout routine, it's simply not for me.
I always thought that there must be another way to be healthy and happy whithout torturing your own body, and here you are, telling me exactly that.
THANK YOU. 🙏🏼🙏🏼
I know the majority of people still praises the fitness addicts who show off their shredded muscled up body, but pay little attention to people like you who are showing us more natural ways to do sports.

[spicyrosie]

I've stopped working out for a year because I hated running so much and my body didn't change because I ate healthy.

[JulieVandenKerchove]

I've had a similar experience so I can really relate. I used to practice HIIT 4-6 days a week and it was making me exhausted and super hungry all the time, messing with my hormones, blood sugar, sleep... When I was forced to stop exercising because of an injury and wisdom teeth surgery, I went through a small mental crisis :) But it's really helped me to find a healthier routine. I now only practice strength training 2 to 3 times a week max, no more cardio. I go for a walk with my dog every day if I can, in nature. I try to stretch regularly. Just be more gentle with my body. Thanks for sharing your story Heather! Love x Julie

[ThatMysticBrunette]

Intense workouts always worsened my migraines. I'm Indian so my mother always said to me that I should practice yoga and praanayam instead. It is kind of frustrating in the beginning because yoga is nothing like other exercises. It requires a lot of patience.. But I'm glad I listened to my mother because it has helped my migraines alot! :)

[myblissfullife]

It's so true. I was a runner for a couple years. I was addicted to the runner's high but when I looked at myself in a mirror I realized I hadn't lost a pound and actually looked a little pudgy in areas.

I stopped running and started walking a few times a week and did some light weight lifting. The weight came off in about a week and this is SO much easier.

[oliviahamilton]

Stumbled across this only now,

You have literally explained the feeling that happens in the legs so spot on! Seriously I have had this exact issue, when I’ve tried to speak about it in the past with trainers or other therapist I was told that it’s all in my head because naturally I’m a lean small build but it’s so real to feel like you’re carrying “heavy” and inflamed legs around all day 😣

Thankyou for sharing!

[cristinas]

Thank you so much for talking about this. No one is talking about this. I am having to search so many different combinations of keywords to try to find someone talking along these lines. I'm about to check out your channel and playlists and see if you talk any more about this. Thank you!

[reciprocalhealing]

This is so refreshing... I'm so glad somebody is talking about this. I've been slowly trying to control my exercise addiction for years and I've recently realized I have to stop fully for now, my body is shutting down... I'm a very "active" person w/o those extra hours of activity... I've been doing yoga for 8 years but pile other stuff on top of that so for now, turning hard into meditation (stillness) n walks to hopefully restore the years of berating my body.

Sooo grateful I found this video today. Thank you from my heart ❤

[OliviaBrynnnn]

I’m so happy I came across this video,
This may be a long comment, but if you happen to see it please read!❤️
I have always been an active person growing up. I was always riding bikes, rollerblading, running around with friends, jumping on the trampoline, etc. I never had a goal of burning calories in my mind it was always just activity I found fun.
Unfortunately when I was 15 I became anorexic and overexercise was a huge part of my ED. The only time I’ve taken a break from exercise since I was 15 was for about 6 months while I was recovering. Ever since then I’ve been consistent, despite yo-yoing between anorexia and binge eating into my early 20s. The common denominator for all my eating disorders? Exercise. I’m 23 now, almost 24, and I don’t struggle with food at all anymore but exercise is something I still can’t let go of.
Seems like a healthy addiction right? Wrong.
About a year and a half ago I started noticing inflammation through my body. Muscle soreness all the time, that puffy/bloated feeling you stated, issues with digestion, even my gums around my teeth will get randomly inflamed and bleed (and even my dentist is puzzled by this because I take great care of my teeth). And most recently—the most devastating thing—my husband and I are having troubles conceiving after 7 months of trying.

Though no doctors have told me this (in fact most doctors encourage the standard “exercising 3-5x per week is healthy”) I have this gut feeling that exercise is causing all of this inflammation and hormone havoc in my body. I’ve been searching all over the internet trying to find people stating that stopping exercise is what finally helped them but I couldn’t find ANYTHING until I found your video.

There’s a part of my brain that will always struggle with exercise being addictive and we live in a fitness dominated world which makes it hard, but your video gives me hope ❤️

[polarisedelectrons]

I really needed to see this today. For years, I always thought my workouts weren't 'intense' enough to exhaust me so much, because I've never done the routines 'other women' do (the old game of comparison): Things like running, HIIT, weights, etc. Not me. I always stuck with power walking and the occasional hiking trip (partly because of a physical condition too, I can't do certain workouts without suffering a great deal of pain, so those are my go-to's). But more and more, I've pushed it over the years. Started out doing half an hour walks years ago, which is great. Then I upped it to an hour. Now these past several weeks, I've gone to doing over two hours of a walk, and yesterday I was so exhausted and couldn't stop snacking on the first thing available... I realise it was my body searching desperately for food to refuel and repair damage. I feel tired all the time. Hazy. Cold. That 'puffy' feeling you mentioned. Can't stop craving calorie dense foods. The hard part is exercise is also an addiction, and like any addiction, I always end up feeling like I need my fix every morning. But I want to try and do my best to slow down, focus on yoga and shorter walks. Bless you for sharing your story to help others!

[synthguy]

I love running, biking, and resistance band strength training but I have chronic sciatica so when my hips go out, I'm usually out for anywhere between 3-14 days. Your channel has given me more encouragement. All healthy diets and lifestyles do work because caloric deficient is caloric deficient regardless on how you pull it off. Thanks for the encouragement! I already lost 22 pounds starting from 255 in a matter of 3 months. My currently goal is to go down to 180 (I'm 5, 7 btw.) I'm so glad I discovered your channel. Thanks so much!

[Kutthroatkawaii]

I experienced this as well. Frequent, but very moderate exercise seems to “energetically” match up with your body better when you don’t have a highly dynamic, competitive personality.

[Robert-bhjt]

I can relate. Felt jaded. Took 3 months off. Felt the best I had in over 10 years. I have since discovered that bodybuilders and even Olympic athletes take regular sustained breaks. Of course most per$oral trainers or gyms won’t mention this for obvious reasons.

[romyroy]

I totally relate to you girl. I faced the same bloating problem in my stomach. Whenever I worked out. I felt heavy.
But now with healthy eating and mindful eating, Im more better.
Like you said, I should try doing some yoga and walking. Bcoz at the end, "staying happy" is more important.

[pattyconnelly]

It was as if something guided me to your YT channel. I’ve long been plant based with small (very small) amount of meat in my diet AND whenever I did hard workouts since my peri menopause stage, I would be in so much pain all over. The only time I felt good was when I did nothing but walk and stretch. This video is exactly the confirmation I needed. Will cancel my gym membership today and try out the adorable new yoga studio that opened up near me. Thank you Heather!

[quantumgirl]

Thanks for talking about this topic. I didn't find many videos about it, most of the ones I found say "don't look for excuses and do it anyway."
I come from a similar background to you, I worked out 5/6 days a week and that "approved" what I ate. I went to the gym almost every day.

A year ago I left social media, so I wasn't having that bombardment of fitness people to compare myself to and feel less than.
However, I was trying to get back to the gym several times. Every time I came back, I was afraid. Every time I quit, it was because of health problems. I didn't want to be sick again.
Now it's been two months since I left the gym, I'm doing yoga every day, since I have to do some physical activity for health, but my body feels good, and I didn't have any more complications so far 🥳

[tommytwotone]

A Chinese-American friend of mine told me that in his family's culture, they call all the heavy weightlifting and aerobics that we Euro/Americans do, "breaking the body".