I first started thinking about working out for a pretty simple reason: I was skinny.
As a golfer, I also wanted to get stronger because I thought it could help me hit the ball farther. More distance can make a big difference in golf. If I can hit a shorter club into a green, I have a better chance of controlling the ball and hopefully lowering my scores. So at first, going to the gym was mostly about building muscle and becoming a better golfer.
The funny thing is that I didn’t actually start working out right away. My golf coach was the person who pushed me to go to the gym for the first time. When I got there, I didn’t really know what to do, so I rode a stationary bike for almost an hour and watched everyone else work out. They seemed to know exactly what they were doing, while I definitely didn’t.
For about a week, I mostly watched. Eventually, I started joining them and learning the exercises myself.
Once I began working out regularly, I started noticing changes that had nothing to do with golf.
One of the biggest was my energy. I used to come home from school feeling exhausted and wanting to sleep. I expected working out after school to make me even more tired, but strangely, it often did the opposite. After a workout, I felt more awake.
Of course, there was also soreness. Especially in the beginning, my muscles could hurt for a few days after a workout. But once the soreness went away, my body usually felt better and stronger than before. Over time, I started to enjoy that feeling of making progress.
The gym also became more social than I expected. Sometimes I work out with classmates, and we talk and have fun while we’re training. That changed the way I thought about exercise. Going to the gym didn’t have to feel like another assignment that I needed to finish. It could just be something fun to do with other people.
I also think working out has taught me discipline. Progress doesn’t happen because of one really hard workout. It comes from showing up again and again, even when the changes are small. That lesson applies to golf, school, and a lot of other things in my life.
I originally went to the gym because I wanted to gain muscle and hit a golf ball farther. Those things still matter to me, but they’re not the only reasons I keep going.
Now I work out because I like how I feel afterward. I like getting stronger. I like having more energy. And I like knowing that I’m doing something good for myself.
If someone thinks they don’t have enough time to work out, I understand that. School and everything else can make a day feel pretty full. But I don’t think exercise always has to feel like work.
Sometimes, it can just be another way to play.