July 11th, 2016
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fitness

 

A couple of days ago, I decided it was time for a summer tune up.

I sit in front of a computer for my job and even though I try to get up and move around every couple of hours, I know it’s not a healthy routine.  I constantly struggle with my weight and also with making sure that I am exercising enough.  So last week, knowing that I am capable of doing much more, I decided it was time to change things up a bit in order to feel healthier.

Instead of doing my regular after work routine of kicking off my shoes, making popcorn, and collapsing on the sofa while I watch the nightly news or something really trashy on Bravo, I told myself that I was going to get my butt in gear and exercise.  Now that we have longer summer days, I was feeling guilty about sitting in front of the TV when it was still daylight.

Enough was enough and I needed to get moving.  Essentially, we all know that exercising and eating healthy are good for us.  The hard part is actually doing it.

On that first evening of tune up, I kept chanting to myself: Girl don’t you even think of sitting down cause if you do you will be a loser.

I know myself so well.  If I were to sit down at the end of the day, then my lazy ass would stay on the couch and I would lose my precious momentum to stay in motion.

The plan of action these days is to bypass the TV, go upstairs and change into shorts and a T-shirt and go back outside.

Do not stop at the refrigerator or anywhere else that’s going to serve as a distraction.

Just keep going to the front door and get back outside to walk, bike or run and fill my lungs with fresh air not recycled office air.

Being active can also help you weather a crisis.  It can help you feel physically stronger and give you a sense of accomplishment which are two things that can keep you on the right track if you find yourself in the midst of dealing with the loss of a job, the death of a loved one or a health emergency.

I don’t always exercise every night, but my goal is to try and get outside at least three times a week.  I’ve found that once I’m outside and actually moving, I am good to go and whatever activity I choose to do can only have a fantastic effect on my ever loving but always aging body and soul.

Here are some of the benefits of launching yourself off the couch:

More Energy.  I know it sounds weird but if I make myself exercise when I am tired, I get energized.  It really would be better for me to exercise in the morning but I don’t have the time so after work is when I have to make it happen even if it’s the last thing I want to do.  Also, scientists have concluded that one of the best ways to beat fatigue and boost energy is to exercise more, not less.  Go figure!

Stress Reducer.  Working out and getting sweaty helps boost your body’s ability to deal with mental stress.  I feel that the actual motion of your body either walking or running or whatever you are doing somehow helps you work through the tension that has built up after a rough day at the office.

Challenges.  Exercising is challenging.  Can you make yourself go a little faster? Can you make yourself go a little farther? Can you forget that you are in pain or getting out of breath?  Doctors say that people with a sense of challenge, people who try to meet a challenge are people who adapt well to change.  And we know that life is full of change right?

Being Outdoors.  The simple act of walking outside in the sunshine is an emotional boost to my overall mood.  Gazing at the sky and taking in the beauty of neighborhood gardens while exercising outside contributes to my enjoyment of the great outdoors and feeling like I am part of the larger magnificent world.

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