Boooooooo to all of it!
Andy got home at 8pm. I changed my clothes and drove to the gym. As I was getting out of my car, I said (out loud), "Ugh..I don't want to do this!" An elderly man who is a regular at the Y was near me. He laughed and said, "Who really does, honey? Who really does?"
Good point.
I went in, served my time on the treadmill, and ran 3 miles in 33 minutes. I felt great afterwards. Sweaty, relaxed, and the good kind of achy that I love.
I never regularly exercised until April 2011. I might have had a 6 month stint here or there where I would sorta kinda work out, but I always hated it and it never lasted. Over the years, I've lost and regained a lot of weight and exercise was never a part of the equation.
For nearly 2 years now, I've exercised 3-6x per week. I run, walk, use the elliptical, jazzercise, do exercise DVDs, kickbox.
I think there's this myth that if you exercise regularly it's only because you are some sort of special and weird human being who naturally loves to work out. I used to think that. Now as a former couch potato turned regular exerciser, I don't think that's true at all.
I always love the way I feel *after* I work out, but I don't always love doing it. I certainly don't love getting ready, driving to the gym, finding the time, being gross and needing a shower after, etc
Of course, I don't particularly love brushing my teeth or shaving my legs or cleaning my house, but you've got to do what you've got to do, right?
And I think that's it - regular exercise is crucial to losing weight, maintaining your loss, and gaining good health. It's what's going to keep you from falling apart and regaining weight quickly if you slide a little with food. It's going to make you a happier, less stressed person. It's what's going to help really change your body as you lose weight. It's what's going to make your heart happy and strong.
Here are some of my tips for making exercise a regular part of your life:
1. Exercise with a friend. My journey to good health started with 3x weekly 30-40minute walks with my friend. I looked forward to the "with my friend" part way more than the walking. We would encourage each other, laugh, cry, problem-solve, vent. These were free therapy sessions - where we just happened to walk. I never wanted to miss a walk, and I never did.
2. Try new things. Some people get easily bored and thrive with variety. Others might need to try many things to find THE thing they love. Running definitely became my preferred mode of exercise, but I also enjoy a variety of different activities. And I especially love that those activities make me a better runner :-)
3. Try a class. Even if you are sure group exercise isn't for you, I encourage you to try. The best part about a class is once you get there, it's a done deal that you will get a good work-out. No one ever drives to a gym, starts a class and then stops. It doesn't happen.
4. Schedule your work-outs. Every Sunday night, I look at my calendar for the week ahead, and write in which type of exercise I will do on which night. I'm pretty busy - I work full-time, my husband works a ton, I have to feed people food they like every night (!), my kids have lots of activities and homework. Some days I might want to go for a long run, but the only thing that will work is a 30 minute DVD at home. So be it. Consider your other commitments and write in what you will do that day for physical activity.
5. Take your measurements before you start working out. I wish I would have done this at the beginning. I know that it would have been highly motivating. My body has changed a lot since it's gone from a size 22 (can't believe I just admitted that) to a size 12. I'm going to take measurements this weekend so that I can at least document inches lost in this last part of my journey. And since I'm talking sizes and all...I'll tell you my secret goal - this 5'11" body fitting in a size 8. So it is written, so it shall be done (I always pull out my Yul Brynner impression when making proclamations).
6. Treat Yo Self.
I love building in little non-food(!) rewards for myself. Maybe put away X dollars every time you go to the gym? Maybe reward yourself with a mani/pedi if you keep your exercise goals for a month? When I begin marathon training in June, I plan to put away $1 for every mile I run during training. I plan to spend that money on new running gear at the Columbus Marathon Expo. That's a very exciting reward for me, and will motivate me to keep *all* of my training runs.
6. Tell people your exercise plans. Tell your partner. Tell your friends. Write it on Facebook. Write it on a blog. Put it out there in the universe that you WILL do something. That's pretty powerful. If you just have an idea in your head that you might start working out, you probably won't. Commit to this all the way - commit publicly. Nothing like backing yourself in a corner ;-)
6. Suck it up and start moving. The fact is the more you do something, the more you want to do it. This applies to the good and bad things in life. You CAN make exercise a habit. Everybody is busy. Everybody is tired. Think of one bad habit you have...one non-product time suck (Facebook? Pinterest? TV?) and replace it with something that's good for you - at least for a few hours per week
:-)
In short: Grab a friend. Mix it up. Plan ahead. Reward yourself. Say it out loud. And then do it!
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