Stop Making Excuses and Start Exercising! (Yeah, I"ve Heard That One Before)
Ugh.
I am not a fan of exercise.
Seriously.
I will use any excuse possible to, well, 'excuse' myself from the whole 'no pain, no gain' routine.
In my 20's, I would jog at a slow pace, for oh, I don't know about 10 minutes (all I could stand) three times a week, hoping this would keep me 'in shape.
' Then I turned 30, had a baby, and..
..
you know how the story goes.
"I have no time!" I protested, to myself.
"I work, I have a baby, I get no sleep!" As my New Yorker friends say, "Fuhgettaboudit!" But that was then and this is now.
And now, I have some knowledge about my family's history that has spurred me on into my own exercise revolution.
You see, last year I learned that a close member of my family has a heart problem.
It is quite possible that this problem was exasperated by a genetic condition.
But one way to reduce the chance that this condition causes a heart attack is to eat right and exercise.
Sounds simple, right? But this is something that you can't just start when you hit 50.
This is a plan you must enact for YOUR ENTIRE LIFE.
As a result of this news, this family member has changed her diet, but she was advised not to do anything rigorous until further notice.
By rigorous, that means exercise.
"It's too late for me," she said.
"But not for you.
" If four words could ever give me the kick-start I needed, it was those.
It is quite possible that when my grandmother died at age 53, she died from a heart attack.
I realized that if I died at that age, I would not see my daughter graduate from college, let alone share many more experiences with her or my husband, or even live to see any grandchildren.
I decided then that I had to make time.
If not only for myself, but for my daughter.
But when? I feel stretched to the limit on most days.
Then a light went on: evenings.
My husband is home so he can watch our young daughter (in fact, they love the alone time together).
I don't have to worry about phone calls for work, or making dinner (since it's already over by then-and hubby and daughter love to do dishes together, so there goes another bonus-I get out of some chores!).
Despite expecting to feel too tired to exercise at night, I've found that I feel fine once I get moving, and even feel more awake afterward (though I work out early enough in the evening so as not to disrupt going to sleep later).
So I'm exercising again, no more excuses.
I can't guarantee that it will increase my longevity, but it can't hurt it, either.
And one of the best benefits is that my daughter sees me exercising regularly.
Hopefully, she'll grow up knowing the importance of a healthy diet and exercise, and she'll make a point of being active too.
Her life depends upon it, as much as mine does.
It's in our genes.
Here are some tips on how to get moving: Grab a class schedule.
Many park districts (or fitness centers) offer classes in everything from cycling to pilates.
If you have a designated workout time that you paid money for, you might be more likely to stick with it.
Taking a group class also might help to motivate yourself when you participate with others who share your goals.
Grab a friend.
If you schedule a time to walk, run or bike with a friend or your partner, you'll not only have a date you want to keep, but you'll motivate yourself and each other to get a work out.
(Nice time to catch up with a friend too!) Grab a DVD or your computer.
If you don't want to or can't spend money on a gym or a Wii, rent a DVD from the library, or log on to the long list of fitness web sites that have free or demo exercise videos.
I have had great success with a DVD that I do at home.
I must have used it about 100 times! I feel that by working out at home, I save the time it takes me to get to and from a gym and I save on the membership fee.
Grab a book or your favorite mag.
One thing that motivates me to step onto my elliptical machine is knowing that I'll have time to myself to read the next chapter in a good book.
I know a friend who records her favorite show and then watches it during a workout.
Sometimes for us moms, workout time is the only time of the day we get to ourselves.
Might as well enjoy another treat while we're at it!
I am not a fan of exercise.
Seriously.
I will use any excuse possible to, well, 'excuse' myself from the whole 'no pain, no gain' routine.
In my 20's, I would jog at a slow pace, for oh, I don't know about 10 minutes (all I could stand) three times a week, hoping this would keep me 'in shape.
' Then I turned 30, had a baby, and..
..
you know how the story goes.
"I have no time!" I protested, to myself.
"I work, I have a baby, I get no sleep!" As my New Yorker friends say, "Fuhgettaboudit!" But that was then and this is now.
And now, I have some knowledge about my family's history that has spurred me on into my own exercise revolution.
You see, last year I learned that a close member of my family has a heart problem.
It is quite possible that this problem was exasperated by a genetic condition.
But one way to reduce the chance that this condition causes a heart attack is to eat right and exercise.
Sounds simple, right? But this is something that you can't just start when you hit 50.
This is a plan you must enact for YOUR ENTIRE LIFE.
As a result of this news, this family member has changed her diet, but she was advised not to do anything rigorous until further notice.
By rigorous, that means exercise.
"It's too late for me," she said.
"But not for you.
" If four words could ever give me the kick-start I needed, it was those.
It is quite possible that when my grandmother died at age 53, she died from a heart attack.
I realized that if I died at that age, I would not see my daughter graduate from college, let alone share many more experiences with her or my husband, or even live to see any grandchildren.
I decided then that I had to make time.
If not only for myself, but for my daughter.
But when? I feel stretched to the limit on most days.
Then a light went on: evenings.
My husband is home so he can watch our young daughter (in fact, they love the alone time together).
I don't have to worry about phone calls for work, or making dinner (since it's already over by then-and hubby and daughter love to do dishes together, so there goes another bonus-I get out of some chores!).
Despite expecting to feel too tired to exercise at night, I've found that I feel fine once I get moving, and even feel more awake afterward (though I work out early enough in the evening so as not to disrupt going to sleep later).
So I'm exercising again, no more excuses.
I can't guarantee that it will increase my longevity, but it can't hurt it, either.
And one of the best benefits is that my daughter sees me exercising regularly.
Hopefully, she'll grow up knowing the importance of a healthy diet and exercise, and she'll make a point of being active too.
Her life depends upon it, as much as mine does.
It's in our genes.
Here are some tips on how to get moving: Grab a class schedule.
Many park districts (or fitness centers) offer classes in everything from cycling to pilates.
If you have a designated workout time that you paid money for, you might be more likely to stick with it.
Taking a group class also might help to motivate yourself when you participate with others who share your goals.
Grab a friend.
If you schedule a time to walk, run or bike with a friend or your partner, you'll not only have a date you want to keep, but you'll motivate yourself and each other to get a work out.
(Nice time to catch up with a friend too!) Grab a DVD or your computer.
If you don't want to or can't spend money on a gym or a Wii, rent a DVD from the library, or log on to the long list of fitness web sites that have free or demo exercise videos.
I have had great success with a DVD that I do at home.
I must have used it about 100 times! I feel that by working out at home, I save the time it takes me to get to and from a gym and I save on the membership fee.
Grab a book or your favorite mag.
One thing that motivates me to step onto my elliptical machine is knowing that I'll have time to myself to read the next chapter in a good book.
I know a friend who records her favorite show and then watches it during a workout.
Sometimes for us moms, workout time is the only time of the day we get to ourselves.
Might as well enjoy another treat while we're at it!