The Gym Helps but It Is Not Your Therapy

Hey there. I have been thinking a lot about how we talk about mental and emotional health, especially in the fitness space. For so many years I believed this was supposed to be an either or situation. Either I changed my body or I fixed my mind. Either I exercised or I worked through my emotions. Either I pushed harder or I paused long enough to look at what was really going on. What I know now is that this is an and situation. All of it matters. All of it works together. And all of it is part of the inside/out process that has shaped the way I live.

One of the biggest lessons I have learned is that therapy is foundational when it is accessible. Having a productive working relationship with a therapist has changed how I see myself. It is not just talking. It is being able to open up to someone who eventually points out the blind spots I either do not see or have been avoiding for years. That is where the real work happens. And I know how fortunate I am to have found someone I trust because I also know how many people have had negative experiences with therapy. There are therapists who dig everything up without helping you work through it. There are long waitlists. There are places where therapy is still viewed as a luxury. None of that means therapy is not powerful. It means our access to it is limited. It means the system is flawed. It means we need better support.

I saw a social media post recently that claimed exercise is one point five times more effective than therapy or medication for reducing anxiety and depression. I nodded along with most of what was written. Movement does help. Exercise can give you clarity. It can lift your mood. It can help you feel capable and grounded. I have felt all of those things. Many of you have too. But the post ended with a line I could not get behind. The gym is therapy. It is not. Exercise is a tool for your mental and emotional health. It can be a powerful one. But therapy is its own thing. Medication is its own thing. And if all three are available to you, and you and your medical team agree they help, then use all three. This is not a competition. This is your life.

When you have been on a weight loss journey for years it is easy to believe that changing your body will fix how you feel. I lived that. I changed my shape. I changed my habits. I pushed myself through every fitness phase. And even with progress I still had moments where I looked in the mirror and felt the same. That is where body dysmorphia tends to surface. You think the frustration is about your body, but the real struggle is the story underneath. The one that says you are only worthy if you shrink yourself. The one that says you are only valuable if other people approve of you. The one that says your emotions do not matter as long as you are disciplined. None of that is true. It never has been.

The truth is that connecting with yourself is not easy. It is painful. It is uncomfortable. You will come across things you have been avoiding for most of your life. You will come across beliefs that were handed to you long before you knew you could choose your own. But every time you do the work, every time you slow down enough to see what is going on inside, you build something stronger than discipline. You build trust with yourself. That is the part of this journey that goes far beyond fitness. It shows up in your relationships. It shows up in your work. It shows up in how you talk to yourself when no one is around. It shapes your life.

I share all of this because I believe you deserve to feel connected to who you are. I believe you deserve tools. I believe you deserve support. And I believe you deserve the chance to feel at home in your own mind. If this hits for you, even a little, I hope you take the next step in your process. You are capable. You are resilient. You have been pushing through things for years and you have more strength than you realize. Keep going. Keep exploring. Keep choosing yourself.