Who else feels completely defeated when they realise how many burpees they need to complete to burn off a indulgent treat?

How many articles or little infographics have you read giving you a breakdown of the torture needed to put a dent into a slice of birthday cake or an evening on the town?

The thought of earning my food makes me cringe.

When did exercise turn into a punishment for living life? I am guilty of this binge exercising after binge eating and am sure I am not the only one. How many of us rush off on a Monday to punish our bodies for a weekend of indulgences?

When exercise should be a celebration of how incredible our bodies are, it really is upsetting when we are told that working out should feel or look like punishment for eating.

Exercise is not just a weight-loss tool and shouldn’t be used as such.

So what are some reasons that you should exercise, outside of weight loss?

1, To be more, rather than less. Stop concentrating on shrinking or losing weight. Concentrate on what you gain from the experience — confidence, strength, and overall health.

2, To feel good about you. How amazing does it feel to be able to push your body to a new level of fitness.

Try new moves, lift a new weight, get into a new pose. Feel proud about you and how amazing your body is. Let’s stop seeing exercise as a way to punish our bodies for eating or living life, rather let’s start seeing fitness as an expression or celebration of how incredible our bodies are. You are not less, or a number on the scale, you are a capable body that was made to move, so just move.

• Cassandra Matcham is a Yoga Alliance-certified yoga instructor, studio and group fitness manager at Alchemy Fitness. She specialises in accountability and goal-setting to help clients reach their full potential. Follow Alchemy Fitness on Facebook: AlchemyFitnessBermuda or e-mail info@alchemy.bm.