Confidence is is like coffee: A heaping dose of it makes you feel like you can conquer just about anything. But some days, that sense of self-assurance feels difficult to come by, and you have to work a little harder to feel like the unstoppable badass that, deep down, you know you are. Whether it's repeating feel-good mantras, putting on an outfit that makes you feel sexy AF, or doing workouts that make you feel confident, everyone has their own way of instilling a good old confidence boost to help them feel like the best version of themselves.
According to Dominique Talley, MSW, CPT, a therapist and certified personal trainer, there's a reason why so many people use fitness as their go-to confidence boost, and it doesn't necessarily have to have anything to do with appearance: "There are few things that boost confidence quite like finishing a tough workout," Talley tells Elite Daily. "You’re sitting on the floor, dripping sweat, chest heaving, endorphins flowing, and thinking, 'Damn that was hard — but I did it!'" Sound familiar?
What's more, Talley says, it's not just the immediate endorphin rush that makes you feel more confident. A regular workout routine can literally change you from the inside out, she explains, improving not just your physical strength, but also your energy levels, your discipline, your grit, and even your ability to truly believe that you can accomplish anything you set your mind to.
"While there are lots of workouts that can challenge you and leave you feeling like a badass, you can dial in your workout choice specifically for whatever event you have coming up so that you get a confidence boost perfectly tailored to what you need," Talley says.
Here are five workouts that are sure to leave you feeling like the most capable and confident version of yourself when you need that boost the most.
Whether you have a presentation to crush at work or one to slay at school, you might be feeling nervous or doubting your abilities. However, according to Talley, a quick strength training workout might just instill the punch of confidence you need for the occasion. "A strength training workout that has you lifting dumbbells, barbells, or kettlebells will have you feeling powerful and strong like the boss-lady you are — not to mention all the more ready to rock that presentation," the trainer tells Elite Daily.
But it's not just the fact that lifting weights makes you feel strong and powerful in the moment. According to Jenna Epperly, a personal trainer at Jim White Fitness & Nutrition Studios, seeing your progress in strength training is incredibly rewarding and makes for a great confidence boost.
"I think any workout where you realize you have to 'up your weights' is super confidence-boosting," she tells Elite Daily. "It shows all your hard work is paying off and shows that you’re getting stronger!" Amen to that, girl.
A good ol' case of pre-date nerves is overwhelming enough to leave you feeling nauseous as hell and changing your outfit a minimum of 16 times before you finally head out the door (or is that just me?).
If that sounds familiar, Talley recommends doing a cardio-focused workout, like a cycling class or a nice long run, to "get your blood pumping" and get yourself "feeling foxy," she tells Elite Daily. New pre-date ritual, anyone?
Personally, my favorite way to find confidence is through my daily yoga practice, and it's not just because the movements and poses make me feel like a graceful female warrior (though that definitely helps). According to Caleb Backe, a health and wellness expert at Maple Holistics, yoga is "deceptively challenging" (ain't that the truth), and the fact that you can complete that challenge is what makes you feel so damn confident in yourself.
"Not only can yoga help people feel more agile, adept, and physically capable — it can also offer renewed confidence when it comes to the bedroom," Backe tells Elite Daily. And if that doesn't give you incentive to try a few sun salutations yourself, then I don't know what will.
High-intensity interval training (HIIT) is an incredibly challenging form of exercise that leaves you huffing, puffing, panting, and sweating — but it also leaves you feeling totally on top of the world.
"I always feel like a badass after a HIIT workout," Epperly tells Elite Daily. "Something about totally crushing a workout and being drenched in sweat afterward makes me feel like I can take on any challenge or obstacle that the day throws my way."
Since HIIT workouts typically require you to give your all-out effort in a really short amount of time, Epperly says, you often end up surprising yourself with what you and your body are truly capable of. "If you can do that in a workout, who's to say you can’t accomplish more than you think in every aspect of your life?" she says.
If you're like me, then you might avoid leg day like the damn plague, but according to Epperly, there's nothing quite like the feeling of accomplishment you get when you finish these types of workouts.
"I love a good leg day," she tells Elite Daily. "[Working your glutes] strengthens your legs, which are a huge muscle group that carry your entire body throughout the day and support your entire being." In other words, yes, leg day isn't exactly the most entertaining workout you could do, but the reality is, you're strengthening a part of your body that literally carries you through life.
Sure, it might be low-key impossible to walk the next day, but that delicious boost of confidence will make the soreness so worth it.
