However, I also really like to do a lot of...nothing. I like to lounge in bed late in the mornings, dozing and watching television. I like to lay on the couch, or sit on my back deck, with a good book. My mind often fights any notion of working out, and I can always think of a hundred excuses as to why I just CAN'T exercise today.
Yet, I still do it. And since I know this is a battle that most of us face every day, I thought that sharing some of my favorite ways to exercise might be an inspiration-not just for you, but for me as well!
RUNNING
I've been running since before my son was born, about 14 years now. When I started, it was more like a snails jog. I'm not really much faster now, but my endurance has definitely improved! Running is great because its not a costly endeavor-buy some good shoes and a decent sports bra, and you're set. I also like that I can simply step out my front door-no getting in my car and driving to where I need to be. I can put my ipod on (in public places, no running on dark trails with music in my ears!) and just go.
Those who have thought about running but are intimated by it should read the book "No Need for Speed" by John Bingham. Its a great intro to running and the author really embraces running for fun rather than turning it into a big competition.
And in regards to the competitive part of running, I think that signing up for a 5k is a great way to motivate oneself to run. There are always a wide range of both runners and walkers at ALL races. Many people run simply because they enjoy it, for fitness and for health. Your only real competition when it comes to running is your own head and your own goals.
An interesting thing about running is that it is mostly mental. I have been very surprised by my body and what it can do. Friends who are runners used to tell me "If you can run six miles, you can run 12." and surprisingly, its true. We can always run further than we think we can.
YOGA
Its kind of funny that I have developed an affinity for yoga. My brother is a yoga instructor, an amazing one, and for SO many years he tried to get me to participate. I would, here and there, but just couldn't get into it. It just never seemed like enough of a workout for me, and it felt slow.
Then one day I decided to try a hot yoga class. 90 minutes spent in a very hot, dim room sweating my ass off with other sweaty people! I came out of that class feeling both drained and rejuvenated, almost reborn (as hokey as that sounds).
Since then, I've been going to yoga at least a couple times a week, for almost a year now. I am so much more flexible than I used to be (I am tight as a piano wire for the most part) and my body just feels better.
My favorite classes are the hot flow classes, which use vinyasa yoga and move at a pretty quick pace. I seldom go to the 90 minute classes now, prefering the 60 minute stints as they are a little more manageable for me mentally (90 minutes is a LONG time!). I love the flow classes, and I love the sculpt classes, which involve using light weights with your movements.
BIKING
A few years ago, I invested in a decent bicycle. Its not a top of the line, crazy-expensive bike, but at $500 was not a cheapie from Walmart either! That bike has become one of my favorite modes of transport AND exercise. Its a Specialized brand, Ariel model. It is mainly for bike paths, but can be used in moderate trail riding (like hard packed dirt on flat ground-not ruts or lots of gravel.)
For me, it is perfect. I'm more of an urban girl so my bike riding tends to be around town on the bike paths and sidewalks. When my son was a baby, I had a different bike (still a nice one but not as fancy as the one I have now) and I got a bike trailer, or Burley as they are commonly called, and he and I would go out almost every day.
Biking is low-impact and can combine going somewhere with working out, which makes it less of a chore and more of just a fun thing to do.
THE GYM
Okay this comes last because honestly, its NOT really my favorite thing to do. BUT...I do like the results. It is really important to do weight bearing exercise and to go beyond cardio. When I manage to add weights to my repertoire (I try for twice a week, but with all the other workouts I like to do, sometimes once a week is all I can fit in) I can tell a difference really quickly. My big farm girl arms (DNA from my grandma....) get toned and less fatty, my stomach gets flatter and my legs leaner.
Its hard for me to be in the gym for more than 45 minutes, I just want to get my workout done and get OUT of there, but it serves its purpose. Plus my membership is very affordable, just $19 a month via Planet Fitness.
No matter what kind of exercise you choose, the best thing you can do for yourself is make time to do SOMEthing every day. EVERY DAY!!! Not three times a week. Not when you feel like it. You do it, and you get it done. If I can drag my sorry self out of bed to an 8am yoga class, hating every minute of dragging myself there, you can do it too. And having kids and/or a job is no excuse. When my son was a baby, I had a jogging stroller that I used all the time, as well as my bike trailer. Now that he's older, I try to find stuff we can do together. Today it was a nice 45 minute bike ride and then some soccer drills in the back yard (where I re-discovered that I suck at soccer. My sweet boy tried hard not to laugh at me....) I get up in the morning before work and go run, bike, whatever I need to do to get myself moving. It really is a necessary part of life.
Once the workout is over, you will be so happy. This much I can promise! And not only will your waistline thank you, your heart and other organs will be grateful, as will your mental health. Regular exercise, every day, is the best all-around thing you can do for yourself. So do it!!!
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