I have an active lifestyle now, but I was sedentary for many years before I decided to move a lot. Let us talk about the benefits of working out based on my experience.

I am excited to talk about the benefits of working out because I have been wanting to share with you my weight loss journey that started in 2022, and I will do it now!

Before I share my story, here are the benefits of working out:

1. You burn calories.
2. You feel happier.
3. You are productive the whole day.
4. It improves your social skills.
5. It makes you stronger.

Let’s begin.

5 Benefits of Working Out From a Former Sedentary Female

As a 165-cm woman, 50 to 60 Kilograms is the normal weight for me. Not exactly strictly within that range as it could be a little over or a little less than that if we follow what the experts say.

According to Medical News Today, a 165-cm woman becomes overweight if she is over 67 kilograms. That is 148 pounds.

But considering my build, if I become over 60 kilograms, I will look “too fat.” I have a small body frame, so the perfect weight for me is less than 60 kilograms.

Currently, I am hovering around 53 kilograms. I have visible fat in my tummy, so I am aiming for 51 kilograms. Shocking?

I know that it seems too low of a weight for my height, but I have muscles at 53 kilograms as well as fat. I don’t look anorexic whatsoever.

I just need to lose the excess fat, and my weight will decrease as a result of fat loss. 51 kilograms is still normal.

I’m actually wondering why many women who are as tall as me can be over 55 kilograms and look slim and toned still. In my case, once I reach my desired body, I believe I will still be less than 55 kilograms.

Maybe my small boobs and thin bones have a role in my low body weight. If I had bigger boobs and a large frame, my weight might have increased by 2 kilograms.

But many people say Asians generally weigh less than those who live in other parts of the world, so maybe the fact that I am an Asian has a role in my low weight.

So, I was not an active girl. I didn’t like exercise growing up. I was just existing and going with the flow. If I had to dance to pass the subject, I would. If I had to walk to school, I would.

Basically, I would do what the situation wanted me to do.

I was physically active in school because I had to walk a lot to and from school. I also had to walk inside the campus. If you are interested in my college life, read this post.

I became interested in working out just in 2022. I also started intermittent fasting at the time. I had gained so much weight in 2021, and I didn’t like that.

The heaviest I’ve been was at almost 70 kilograms. I don’t know the exact number as what mattered to me was that I looked so fat.

I had a huge tummy. My butt looked big and while it was great, it was because of too much fat. I had flabby arms, too, and my double chin was visible.

At first, I was inconsistent with my dieting because I was not sure if it was possible to go back to my original weight. I consider 51 kilograms my original weight.

I was 51 kilograms in high school. I didn’t become taller, so it is okay to be 51 kilograms as an adult. 51 kilograms is still normal for my height.

But when I weighed myself one time in October or September of 2022, I saw a significant decrease in my weight. I think 6 kilograms.

But I didn’t really lose 6 kilograms at the time. The weighing scale was just broken. If that broken scale didn’t fool me, I wouldn’t become motivated to keep going.

So I am grateful.

I was able to be near my original weight in less than a year because of intermittent fasting and calorie deficit, so this isn’t about how working out can help you lose weight. I lost weight by eating less.

I would actually suggest eating less, and not working out, if you want to lose weight. Focus on working out if you have lost the excess weight and want to improve yourself from within.

When I started working out regularly and being consistent with it, what improved are my Social Skills, my confidence, my happiness, and my overall well-being.

Let us talk about it in more detail. Here are the benefits of working out from a former sedentary female.

1. You burn calories.

This is the most obvious among all the benefits of working out — burning calories.

I don’t work out intensely. I think what’s intense is my walking. My target is to walk 6,000 steps every morning. That is less than the recommended 10,000.

But I take 6,000 steps within 2 hours in the morning that’s why I think that is intense.

I will wake up at around 5:30 and then eat breakfast. My mother, younger brother, and little brother leave the house at 7. I just ask them to drop me off somewhere.

I do that only from Mondays through Fridays. According to my smartwatch, I burn 300 to 500 calories from my walking every day.

According to Livestrong, the calories you burn depend on your heart rate.

I am not fasting intermittently anymore; I just watch what I eat. I eat before I walk, and then I eat once I reach the 3,000th step.

That is at the church I go to or around it, such as at Dunkin’ Donuts or McDonald’s. But I usually just order drinks as I eat food at home before I leave.

I bring bottled water with me as it is cheaper than buying one from a convenience store.

Once I get home, which is typically at 9 AM, I will rest a bit and then lift weights

I do 3×10 kettlebell squats with a 30-lb kettlebell and then 2×10 kettlebell arm lifts with a 10-lb kettlebell. Simple, but I was able to gain muscle from that routine.

And I actually think that it is better to have a simple routine you can be consistent with than force yourself to do heavy workouts that you won’t stick with.

2. You feel happier.

Before I decided to add walking to my workout routine, I was oversleeping and had an inconsistent sleeping schedule. My sleep was terrible.

I was staying up at night and sleeping in the morning. I had an ultra-flexible schedule, so I had a lot of time for sleep. It was hard to have a work-rest balance.

But the safest time to walk is in the morning when the streets are loud and people are awake, so I have to wake up early. And it doesn’t feel like a chore!

I am walking alone, so I can’t walk at night. Since I started, I have been followed by creeps!

There was one who even took pictures of my back (or butt because I was wearing leggings), and then there was another who was in the car and he was old. I think he wanted me to be his sugar baby!

There are people who think I have a sugar daddy, but I honestly cringe at the idea. But I am not judging those who have sugar daddies.

It wasn’t scary, but it was creepy!

Overall, I don’t talk to people except for those who take my food orders. But it was fun to even just cross paths with people who are living their lives.

I didn’t like the sun back then as I was overly dramatic in the past, so I was fond of the dark. But I now love the sun except for the times it is harsh on my skin!

I apply sunscreen, though. And I am wearing a cap!

3. You are productive the whole day.

It is 12:59 in the afternoon. But before I started writing this, I took a shower. I also lifted weights. I walked earlier and, according to my smartwatch, I took 6,283 steps and burned 429 calories.

I rarely burn 400 calories. Usually, I burn around 300 calories from walking. It depends on the intensity of my walking.

Months ago, I would be asleep at this time and I wouldn’t have considered working on my personal projects as I would be too tired due to oversleeping.

My life has changed since I incorporated walking into my life. I thought that people who were praising walking were lying, but I now believe them.

Starting your day off with exercise really improves your mood the whole day.

Actually, I started this routine because I wanted to lower my body fat percentage as quickly as possible despite the increase in my food intake.

But what happened is that I feel full the rest of the day and have more energy to be productive. So I eat less and accomplish more. I also sleep earlier, at around 9 PM.

Sometimes, though, I sleep late.

4. It improves your social skills.

One of the benefits of working out that is related to personal development is that it improves your social skills.

When I was living a sedentary lifestyle, I wasn’t used to being around people, so I lost my social skills. I was afraid of people. I thought they might do anything to me.

But not everyone can walk 6,000 steps within the city with no company. I was afraid of walking alone because that was awkward and people might think I was weird.

That was despite my introversion!

The fear of being alone is called Autophobia and it is caused by many things.

But now, who cares if I walk back and forth the same street? Who cares if I sit at a table alone? Who cares if I am alone?

I admit that I am confident being alone because I am attractive and I know it. Look good, feel good. Being pretty is really a confidence booster.

5. It makes you stronger.

But another thing that makes me confident to walk alone is that I feel stronger than most people around me. I am a woman, but I am not scared of any men.

Back then, I was. But because I feel physically stronger due to weightlifting and I am taller than many people around me, I feel like I can defend myself if they grab me suddenly.

I also have a lot of suppressed anger within me. I can use that to fuel my punches and kicks!

Also, walking is helpful for my legs. I feel like I can kick anyone who touches me inappropriately. My legs are strong!

And I think my mom sees that as she now allows me to travel solo. I was surprised when she didn’t oppose my solo travel plans.

One time, my mom pointed out the muscle on top of my shoulders that goes to the neck (I don’t know what it is called but the shape is like a mountain on my shoulders).

I am not muscular and I don’t aim to be muscular, but I need to have some muscle mass so I can travel solo. That is the number one reason ever since.

My mom wasn’t allowing me to be alone because of what creepy guys might do to me. She would let me do whatever I want only once I get married.

But I don’t plan on getting married, so I won’t have a husband who will “protect” me. I think my mom wants me to get married more than I do. Nope, not going to happen.

Last Words

What made working out difficult for me, and what makes it difficult for other people, is that we tend to think that we should do it at an extreme level to get the most benefits.

My strength training routine was actually quite intense many months ago. I was doing planks, Pilates, other bodyweight exercises, etc. I wasn’t able to stick with that routine for a long time.

If you want a workout routine that you will be able to do consistently, do exercises that you can do easily, and don’t force yourself to work out for an hour if you can’t.

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