When I was in middle school, I subscribed to just about every teen magazine out there. Back then, there wasn't a variety of body types to help girls like me feel sexy or confident [1] in my own skin. Granted, we didn't know about things like Photoshop [2] back then, but my friends and I would stick to strict workout regimens that would revolve around a ton of cardio. We kept it fun by throwing dancing [3] in there every now and then, but a majority of our workouts were running for extended periods of time, which, don't get me wrong, is super fun for a lot of people. I loved it for a few years, but I think I overdid it during this period of my life (thankfully I learned to love it in a healthier way later in life). Those types of workouts continued on through high school, but I never felt like I looked like the models in the magazines. I enjoyed working out, but I was also expecting more results than I was getting for putting in so many hours.

I finally decided that working out so often wasn't worth it, but I noticed myself gaining a lot of weight during college. I struggled to find a balance between a social life, pulling all-nighters for tests and assignments, and working out [4]. The stereotypes of the perfect body type also kept shifting, and I didn't know how to find a way out of my lack of motivation [5]. I started eating out more often and failed to make healthy choices for myself.

I graduated from college and actually wound up losing a lot of unhealthy weight due to implementing an overall healthier lifestyle. I've been focusing on my career and health for a few years now, so I can safely say that I'm officially becoming an adult. And perhaps because of that, in addition to a ton of reflection and appreciation for myself and my life, I've come to the realisation that my body is going to continue to change, and that's OK! I finally came to the conclusion that I really just needed to love my body [6]. This wasn't easy for me considering I've struggled with body issues since I was teased on a daily basis starting in elementary school. I realised that although I've had just about every body shape out there at some point in my life, the problem was that I was never comfortable enough in my own skin to appreciate it in the moment.

Now I choose to do workouts that I enjoy not necessarily because of the physical results I'll see, but because of how I feel. That's why I'm constantly switching it up between cardio, strength training, yoga, Pilates, barre, and dance — sometimes all in the same week.

While I love all of those workouts, strength training is the one that makes me feel, dare I say, sexy. I'm a pretty short girl (5'2"), and my petite physique always bothered me a little at times because it made me feel like I was viewed as weak, regardless of whatever body shape I had. That feeling pushed me to take self-defence classes, but the instructors pretty much always pointed me out as an easier target due to my appearance. Granted, that was a pretty low blow to my confidence, but it pushed me to work harder on my strength.

My parents didn't raise my sister and me to be delicate little flowers; we were always taught to be strong [7], motivated young ladies. No workout made me feel like that until I started strength training. Over time, I wasn't afraid to unleash my stronger side in those self-defence classes. The other students telling me I'm stronger than I look and being able to stand my own ground while practicing various techniques made me feel proud.

The more I practice strength training, the more confidence I seem to gain. Being able to increase the size of the dumbbells and weights I use or performing exercises that I wasn't able to execute when I started strength training makes me feel confident. Confidence equates to sexiness for me, and knowing I can now leg-press my 170-pound husband is an extremely satisfying feat. Being able to flex a little bicep every now and then, and knowing I can kick some ass if necessary, doesn't hurt, either.