10 reasons I like intense exercises

When you're breathing hard, all you're thinking about is getting to the next rep (or finishing that set). There's nothing else on your mind. You're not thinking about what you're going to eat for lunch or dinner. You're not thinking about how much you hate your boss.

For people short on time, high intensity interval training gives you the benefits of longer workouts in a shorter period of time.

I don't like sweat, but I like the feeling of being sweaty. I heard once that sweating is your body's fat's way of crying.

I like that sense of being tired you get when you've done some hard work - could be exercise, could be a problem you were trying to solve, could even be a difficult conversation you needed to have.

I feel like I can eat anything after - fried chicken, potato chips - though I usually don't. But I do feel like I can get a slight pass on a cheat meal every now and then if I've been consistently working out hard.

Working out is just as much mental as physical. Of course, you should stay safe and never push yourself too far but working out is a great way to test your limits.

I'm a fan of functional exercises - exercises that prepare your body and muscles for real life situations. Who is going to be picking up a dumb bell and curling in a real life situation? Instead, lifting yourself when you're hanging from a cliff or trying to pick up a car because someone is trapped underneath are situations I want to prepare for even if I'm not going to ever be in those situations.

Hard workouts make you breathe hard and make your heart pump. It's nice to feel your heart getting a workout because it's not always obvious you are treating your heart well.

Whenever I'm faced with a long and hard workout, I hesitate. I don't want to do it. But I know that whenever I finish the workouts, I feel infinitely better after so I do it.

It's a great form of motivation and encouragement for other areas of your life. If you can do a hard workout, there's not much else you can't do.