I am procrastinating this morning; enjoying some quiet/leisurely time, starring at the treadmill and other equipment, knowing I need to put on my tennis shoes and just get started.
Why is changing your lifestyle and habits so difficult!! What makes some people driven to the point of obsession while others like me go in spurts of commitment. But I do notice the more consistent I am in regard to exercise, the more I don't want to miss it. However if circumstances prevent it, I don't beat myself up or feel guilty.
For those of you who can't remember the last time you exercised, start out slow and find something you enjoy doing....
For me, I have found that I do enjoy the treadmill. I turn on the TV, then I start out slowly and build up to a good pace. This past week I started trying short sprints to get my heart rate up....(walk a couple of minutes, then do a 30 second to a minute sprint)...
I also just purchased a recumbent bike. Can't use the standard ones as I wouldn't be able to walk the next day with my hip/lower back issues.
Because I spend basically 3 hours in the car to commute back to our family business, then sit several hours at a desk I am trying to remind myself to MOVE more often, even if it's just taking a short break, walking outside about the building, getting out of the chair and doing some stretches. I am thinking about taking some weights to my office, taking a few minutes to work on my upper body etc.
I am finding also that exercise doesn't have to be an hour and a half of commitment every morning....you can also do it in small increments during the day and if you then add it all up, you have devoted an hour or so that you thought you couldn't spare in the day.
(I have to admit, being able to run, even for a few minutes creates a high and you start to feel really good about yourself.)
Sometimes we are overwhelmed at the thought of exercise; we don't want to go to the gym because we are NOT fit, we are overweight and we feel that we have to lose some weight before we walk through that door at the gym as everyone there is FIT..(WRONG!!!)..but if it makes you feel better, start at home for a few weeks. I did start at the gym with a trainer last year and for about the first week was self-conscious; but once I got over the initial feeling, I really enjoyed it and found that my trainer pushed me beyond what I imagined I could actually do...Having a trainer is a great gift you can give yourself especially if you are a novice at working out. Even if you have one for a day each week. They can design your workout program for the other days. And yes, if you give up eating out a night or all those daily "Starbucks" you can afford it. It's all about priorities.
Speaking of workouts, it's that time of the day for me!!!!