Train insane, build your game. Train hard, pave your path. Make your sores, the best form of pain. Embrace your bruises, for they are the seeds of your gain. Working out, for some people, is a form of meditation. For others, it’s just a paltry act as a result of injunction. For the rest, it may be their way of life. So, let’s get to the heart of the matter: How do you know you’re in a long standing relationship with working out?

Let’s look at 10 signs that you’re on the right track to building a healthy relationship with your training sessions.

1. YOU DON’T EXERCISE TO PUNISH YOURSELF

You develop enough maturity to shift your arena from ‘having’ to work out because you wish to change something about your body to ‘getting’ to work out because you’re excited about what you’re going to achieve. Exercising becomes a part of your lifestyle and the regular training sessions get embedded into your routine.

2. YOU ONLY DO WORKOUTS WHICH YOU ENJOY

You are the master of your own will and adopt to the exercises you like doing. You don’t drain your time by doing activities you despise. You’ve gathered enough knowledge and sensibility over time about what is beneficial for your health and what is absolutely pointless to do.

3. A DAY WITHOUT EXERCISE IS A DAY WELL WASTED

You prefer your workout and protein shake over coffee to trigger your day and kick you into a hectic schedule. Working out becomes closely intertwined with your identity. A no-exercise-day is a complete spoiler to your mood and lines up a spree of mishaps in your day. Working out releases endorphins which boost your mood, so it is normal to feel good after exercising. You may even feel angry, anxious or depressed if you skip your workout sessions.

4. YOU EXERCISE DESPITE YOUR PAIN

You’ve acquired a go-getting attitude due to long spans of exercising. Your pains and injuries always fail to hamper your workout routines. Bed rest is a big ‘NO’ and the only way to fix you is gym, squats and kicks. A sip of protein shake and a tinge of vigour is enough to get you going!

5. YOUR BAG’S ESSENTIALS CHANGE IN NO TIME

From stilettos to canvas, from A-line pants to track suits, your duffel bag undergoes complete evolution with correspondence to your training routines. Protein powder, vitamin supplements, fresh wet wipes and pain repellent sprays are an inevitable part of your carry bag. You are good to go only if you have these indispensables handy!

6. YOU’RE UP FOR MEETING A CHALLENGE

Chances are, obstacles and difficulties are going to present themselves no matter what kind of exercise you take up — a pose you fall out of, a move you can’t grasp, a speed you can’t reach. The initial frustration of not having the endurance to complete a class or maintain a pose is always apparent on the faces of new — and advanced — practitioners. But these abuttals always bring about the best version of you. You are always up for challenges and endure them with great ease and persistence. Be it kicking punch bags or knocking asses, toughening knuckles or strengthening your spirit, your workout gets you going!

7. EXERCISE BECOMES YOUR TOP PRIORITY

One sign that you are obsessed with exercising is that it begins to interfere with other aspects of your life, and you start skipping work, classes or social events to fit your work out. You never seem to have time for anything else because you are preoccupied with getting to the gym or having enough time for your run. It transcends from something you like to do to something you feel you must do.

8. YOUR APPROVAL IS THE ONLY FEEDBACK YOU CONSIDER

You’ve cleared out all the bugs from your lawn and your assessment is the only legitimate feedback for your progress. Your crunches, lunges, sit-ups are reviewed by none other than you. A setback is always a harbinger of some extra effort and isn’t enough to deter you off the track!