Your significant other has your schedule memorized. He knows better than to plan a date night on Tuesdays—barely at 7 sharp, of course!
You wear a lot less makeup. You know what happens when you leave makeup on during a workout—clogged pores, breakouts, orange-tinted gym towels—so you put on as little as possible, or none at all.
You no longer hit up the vending machine at 3 p.m. Hummus and carrots are suddenly a lot more appealing than a bag of Doritos.
But you allow yourself to splurge. While you eat clean 80 percent of the time, you’ll order that Belgian waffle at brunch. You know your overall healthy lifestyle has your backside covered.
You can take a rest day without beating yourself up. You’ve learned that pushing your body past its limits equals fatigue and injuries, so you make taking a day off a priority. And don’t feel an ounce of guilt for it.
You have a gym crush. You may not know his name, but you know his workout schedule by heart—and how good he looks doing biceps curls.
Your friends start asking you for health advice. Even the ones who ridiculed you for running on your bachelorette weekend now want to know your kale salad recipe and your thoughts about the new cycling studio.
You’d rather go for a run than go to happy hour. Three beers in a dingy bar? No thanks. Three miles in the cool evening air? Yes, please!
You can’t do laundry quickly enough. Your hamper is overflowing with sports bras, leggings, and tank tops. And since most are “hang to dry,” your laundry room (or bathroom) is constantly full of damp, dripping clothes.
You can’t wait to jump in bed at night. No longer do you need to watch three episodes of Scandal before you doze off—you fall asleep almost instantly and stay asleep until…
Your alarm goes off at 6 a.m. Every. Single. Day. But you secretly love being one of the first people at the gym or on the running path.
Your sex drive is off the charts. Research shows that exercise increases libido, so just blame science for ripping that button off your husband’s shirt.
You banter with trainers on social media. “Killer class tonight!” comments and @ mentions of instructors have taken over your Twitter and Facebook pages. And your favourites retweet you every single time.
You sweat more, which is actually a good thing. The fitter you are, the earlier and more easily you’ll sweat, studies show. Meaning: Your body is more efficient at cooling you down quickly, so you can work out harder—and longer. Score!
Your mind is sharper than ever. Exercise boosts blood flow to the brain, so you’ll be able tackle anything work throws your way. Plus research shows that fitter people are less likely to get dementia, so you’ll ward off the risk of losing your mind later on in life.
You digestive system is ON TRACK. Working out increases the contraction of your small intestine, so no, it’s not just your imagination that you’re visiting the restroom more often (and feeling great for it!). Buh-bye bloating.
Your Instagram feed is full of #fitspiration. And Sunday #mealprep shots. And #greenmonster smoothies. And maybe even the occasional #gymselfie.
Your skin is glowing. And we don’t just mean that temporary “just-worked-out” flush. Recent research shows that exercise not only appears to keep skin younger, it may also even reverse skin aging in people who start exercising late in life.
You’ve tried just about protein powder and power bar out there. From Luna to Clif Bars, from Vega to Designer’s Whey, you’ve figured out exactly which products work best for your body.
You have a favourite spin bike. Front row, three to the left. And feel a surge of excitement (maybe too much?) as soon as you see it’s open.
You have more reusable water bottles than fit in your cabinets. But can you ever really have enough Kleen Kanteens?
You know nothing can beat the buzz of a great workout. No drink or drug could ever replicate that amazing feeling after rocking a tough WOD or PR’ing a half marathon.
You feel more self-confident. Getting in shape (which doesn’t mean being a size two) works wonders for your body image. Bring on the bikini!
You’ll live longer. Studies suggest that fit people are more likely to outlive those people who aren’t in shape. #Winning.
xoxo,
The Fabulous Team