Darlings, during this trying time, exercising our bodies and minds is more important than ever! Today we have Michelle Spadafora the founder of Faithful Workouts back on the blog. In this blog, she talks about Moxie, and how we can incorporate the idea into exercising! Enjoy and stay safe out there!
What Moxie Means to Me
The word Moxie most likely means different things to different people. So, let me describe how I will be using this term. To me, Moxie means to have a fighting spirit, perseverance, and a ‘won’t give up’ attitude. It means you are assertive and confident, your character shines through in all you do, and that you are unapologetically yourself. I don’t know about you, but Moxie is something I want to live with!
Now, when it comes to Moxie & fitness, how are they connected?
There are SO many reasons why we should exercise and eat healthy, but today we are going to talk specifically about how healthy habits affect our Moxie.
How Healthy Habits Affect Our Moxie
From my 35-years in the fitness industry, I have seen that those who consistently take good care of their bodies tend to have more Moxie. When we feel good, it shows in the way we carry ourselves. We physically stand up straighter and we walk with more confidence and with a positive outlook on life.
When we exercise there are measurable, physical changes that occur in our body! Our brain releases endorphins, which are chemicals that trigger a positive feeling in our bodies. Exercising also wakes us up, improves our memory, lifts our mood, reduces stress and brings loads of other benefits to our health. No wonder exercising can lead to having more Moxie!
So Many Benefits to Exercise!
Exercising is great for our physical health but it’s also super important that we give our bodies the fuel it needs. What we eat affects so many parts of our life. When we eat a diet loaded with sugar and processed foods we don’t sleep as well, we have inflammation that can cause joint pain, we lack energy, and we gain weight.
The food we eat also affects our mental health. Studies show that a healthy diet can reduce the symptoms of depression. A 2017 study showed that when those who struggled with depression began eating more fresh and whole foods and limiting their processed foods, sweets and fried food, 32% of the study group had substantial improvements in their mood and anxiety, as well as put their depression into remission! Because our diet greatly affects our physical and mental health it naturally affects our Moxie.
Why Don’t We Workout?
One of the most common excuses for not exercising and turning to unhealthy foods is because people feel they don’t have time. But if you ask me I would say that’s not really the reason, the real reason is that we haven’t made our health a priority. We make time for the things we value. When was the last time you left the house in your pajamas because you didn’t have time to change? Point made – we make time for what’s important to us.
Think about your life in 5 or 10 years. What will be important to you then? I have to believe that all of us want to experience good health in the future. If you want to experience good health then you have to make it a priority now. If you want to have Moxie in 10 years it means taking care of yourself starting now. If you struggle to exercise consistently it’s so important that you schedule it. If you don’t schedule it, it probably won’t happen. If eating healthy is a struggle for you, I suggest you start with just this one thing – eat whole foods. Don’t turn to processed foods, cook your own food. Set some goals for yourself in these areas.
Setting and Accomplishing Goals
Setting and accomplishing goals is another way of living with Moxie. When we accomplish our goals, we think more positively and confidently towards ourselves. Accomplishing goals makes us feel more driven and self-motivated. Instead of getting into bed and being upset because once again, we let our goals slide for the day, we can put our head down on our pillow and say “I did it!” When we accomplish one goal, it gives us the confidence that we can accomplish even more challenging goals.
As much as our physical health affects our Moxie, I personally found that my spiritual health played an even bigger role in my Moxie. I didn’t grow up having faith. I never knew there was a God who loved me. I struggled with people-pleasing and loving myself because I didn’t know that the One who created everything calls me His daughter, His masterpiece and His beloved. When I was forty I finally realized that I had a Father who loved me even with all my flaws.
When we are constantly looking for approval from people it can zap the Moxie right out of us. Knowing His love freed me from needing the approval of everyone else and my Moxie went to a whole new level!
How to Live With More Moxie!
So, if you want to live with more Moxie, here are some things you should begin doing today:
Make an exercise date with yourself. Schedule the days and times of your next 3 workouts. If you are looking for a safe and effective workout, give these Total Body Workouts a try!
Eat whole foods. Cut back on processed foods that are typically loaded with sugar. Sugar is addicting and if you struggle with a sweet tooth, CLICK HERE to get my No Guilt Cookie Recipe.
Spend time figuring out what you believe is true when it comes to spirituality. Don’t just base your answer on what others have told you, do your own research. This is too big a question to leave in someone else’s hands. The answer might just take your Moxie to a whole new level too!
You got this!
Michelle Spadafora is the founder of Faithful Workouts. She has been in the fitness industry for 35 years and is passionate about helping people get strong physically and spiritually. She loves to exercise and cook, and even more so, she loves talking about Jesus and helping others come to know His truth and love. Faithful Workouts is her happy place because it combines her passions into one program. She is married to Jeff, the mom of 3 kids and 3 dogs!
Exercise by itself feels like a spiritual connection for me. Especially if it can be done outside. Osteoarthritis of the hip has finally caught up to me in these later years. Now I miss it more than I can say. I know many people have to deal with this. Do you or any of the readers have thoughts on this?
Also, being self quarantined at home listening to all the stressful health and financial news has made it tough for me not to turn to food. It’s going to take some real Moxie to stay the healthy food course. Thank you for listening and for any encouraging words!
Susan
Hi! The article about exercising did not appear in my computer…
Did you send it?
a fan,
Gloria Coates