Heal faster from heartbreak with exercise

Love looks different for every person, and so does break ups. After losing someone who was part of your life, it’s completely understandable to turn to various coping mechanisms in the dark phase of brokenness. Some people isolate themselves or turn to vices after getting their hearts broken.

Fortunately, there’s a much healthier way to deal with heartbreak and that is to go to the gym. Many people actually start their fitness journey after something as cathartic as a breakup.

Surviving a breakup can be hard but sweating out the negative emotions can really help. Maybe working on your body will also strengthen your heart. We asked several gym rats how working out helped them cope with heartbreak.

The Philippine Star: How did you feel post-breakup and what was your immediate response?

Dan: I felt sad, of course, and for a brief moment, I wanted to get back to my vices. But I had to think of my son and I. He had just turned five, and although I’ve always been a hands-on dad, I was now going to raise him without his mom, and I couldn’t bear the thought of him losing another parent.

Chelcie: I felt empty. I just wanted to sleep all day, eat crappy food and seclude myself from the world.

What made you turn to fitness?

Thet: Because it is the only way I can help myself without depending on others. It empowers me to take back control over my life, health and body.

Dan: I knew I had to be healthy to make sure I’m always there for my son. When she left us, I was obese with hypertension and was in danger of getting diabetes like most of my relatives.

How did fitness help?

Dan: It was a rough start but since having a BP of 140/110, I’ve managed to lower it down to 120/80. I haven’t had an episode of hypertension in two years and my blood sugar is normal. I went down from my heaviest weight of 260 lbs. to 160 lbs. I‘m now learning that I can do a lot of the sports and events I couldn‘t do when I was younger because of insecurities due to my size.

Chelcie: I enjoyed running so much that it became part of my daily routine. I began feeling better — started going out again, surrounded myself with good people, ate more and better food, and slept sounder. I then realized how much our mental, emotional, and physical health all contribute in determining our fulfillment in life. When I started taking care of myself by moving more and eating better, my overall well being improved drastically. I watched my relationships blossom, career progress, mind evolve, face glow, and body toughen. I started attracting good opportunities, positive energy and, of course, the right people.

Looking back, what was the outcome of your experience?

Thet: I took full control of my life in all aspects possible: emotional, mental, and physical. From the slump of a heartache to total well-being.

Dan: Changing my life through fitness turned a very tragic event into an opportunity to become a better version of myself and now I couldn’t be happier.

What’s your advice to anyone dealing with heartbreak?

Thet: It is normal to go through pain and hardships in life but eventually you have to stand up and help yourself. Take it as a spring that would catapult you into greater heights. What people do to you is none of your control, but what you do to yourself is 100 percent on you. Love and take care of yourself when no one else will. Girl power, you can do it. We are stronger than who we think we are.

Dan: Most would turn to the quick and immediate comfort offered by vices and even food. But we have to learn that in the end nothing ever comes easy, even moving on after a breakup is hard. So we just have to take it one step, press, push or pull at a time through fitness.

Zee: Trust the process, flow with every stage. Accept that it has happened, and that the ideal path is forward, never backward. And be pleasantly surprised at the new things one can discover and learn while going through the heartbreak.

Chelcie: You will not want to take care of yourself. You will want to sulk all day, sleep all day, eat all the sweets you can think of. Heck you may not want to get out of bed at all. But this is the perfect time to invest in yourself. Do things alone, get to know yourself, strengthen yourself physically emotionally, and mentally. In no time, you’ll thank this heartache for the motivation to be the best version of you.

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Post me a note at mylene@goldsgym.com.ph or mylenedayrit@gmail.com.