When I switched from my skinny-fat, non-fit life to working out every single workday, I was surprised how much criticism I received. Friends and colleagues were sometimes downright outraged by my new endeavor.

“Five days a week is too much.”

“Exercising every day is bad for you!”

“It’s not healthy!!”

These are some of the things I heard over and over from good friends, even months after I started my routine. Honestly, I was surprised. Exercising weekdays is unhealthy? What? What about all those doctors who tell you that you should get a minimum of 30 minutes exercise every day?

One person even insisted that her doctor told her she should not exercise more than 2-3 times a week and never more than one day in a row. Others just told me I was doing too much, that it was too much for my body and that I should think about decreasing.

I had to ignore all of them and brush off their demotivating comments. Maybe they want to justify their own workout schedule. Many people in Switzerland do only workout 2-3 times a week. The trainers at my gym even expect that this is the normal amount because they know that usually people don’t have the willpower or time to come more often than that.

Usually trainers are surprised when I tell them I come five days a week, but never has a trainer told me that this is too much. Instead, they congratulate me on my good workout ethic! Never have any of my doctors told me that five days a week is too much and thankfully, Kay has never told me this either!

Kay is the one who inspired me to exercise daily because he was the one who was exercising every day at lunchtime originally. And by going to the gym every morning, I noticed that there are other people who go everyday too. I asked another woman at the gym if people also give her attitude for her gym schedule and she said they do all the time, telling her that it’s unhealthy to go every morning, but these same people will tell her not to workout too much while they themselves ride their bike to and from the office an hour each way. Doesn’t make any sense, does it? Meanwhile, my colleagues complain that they are not in shape or have gained weight with their 1-2x a week, or never, gym schedule.

I understand that some are intimidated by the idea of doing something every day, but there’s nothing heroic about doing 45ish minutes of exercise in the morning. I alternate weight training with cardio so that I’m never pushing muscle groups too much and I see nothing wrong with running, cycling or weight training every day. If I had to cut down to 2 days a week, I would be so limited with what I can accomplish.

I am proud that I have the will to get up and go everyday and I don’t need any negative Nancys trying to convince me otherwise!

Have your friends and family ever reacted negatively to a new, healthy choice of yours? How did you react?