You CAN Exercise!

A lot of the people who follow this blog have told me that they do so while they try to change their habits and get healthier.  Some of the people who have written, have commented that they are trying to lose weight, while others are also trying to cure or control diabetes.  Hopefully, the food log and some of the recipes are helping with that.  For me, taking a picture of everything I eat, and reporting it, keeps me more honest than I would be with myself. 

However, when controlling diabetes, or when losing weight, or even when trying to live a healthy lifestyle, diet is not enough.  Exercise is critical.  What you eat controls your size, what you do controls your ability.  Your muscles look better, your lungs function better, your brain is clearer, your mood is happier when you exercise. I am not a personal trainer or fitness expert- at all!  However, I have learned a few things, and I hope this will help.  If this is a popular part of my blog, I will keep it up.  :)

So these are the common reasons for not exercising and what I think are some ways to overcome those hurdles.

1) I don't have enough time to exercise.  --  Did you watch the season finale of Castle?  Did you see the kiss?  Then you have time.  Get off the couch, stand in front of your TV and march in place.  Seriously, you are going to watch Castle, Psych, and The Bachelor anyway.  Stand up and do something while you watch.  It will keep you from eating ice cream, and you can feel good about multitasking.

2) I'm in too much pain. -- Some of you are in immense pain, and you shouldn't do anything without asking your doctor, but have you asked your doctor? Have you asked the chiropractor what exercises you can do? It hurts, but the more muscle you have, the less it will hurt.  If, however, you hurt because you are overweight- that pain isn't going away until you do something about it. So start by walking up and down your driveway 2 or 3 times.  Take it slow, it's not a race, it's life; but it is life, and you are missing it.

3) I can't afford a gym membership. -- Do you have a pair of tennis shoes? Then you have a gym membership.  Put them on and take a walk.  If you want weights, pick up 2 cans of soup or 2 water bottles. Ta-DA!!!  Grab a towel and you have everything you need.

4) It's uncomfortable. -- Good!  Then you are doing it correctly!  Trust me, I hate exercising- or at least I used to.  I didn't ever sweat or breath hard if I could help it.  I have a friend who, and I am not kidding, has a recording of me that she kept after I called her the first time I worked hard enough to be out of breath. She was so proud.

5) I don't want anyone to see me exercise. -- I have been there.  I didn't want to go to a gym with lots of skinny little blonds with perky ponytails.  I didn't want the guys in the gym to look at me.  This is the excuse that people won't say out loud and won't admit to others, you feel too fat for the gym.  It doesn't matter that the gym was made to get rid of fat- you just can't walk through that door. 

The cure? There are 2- you can either suck it up, bite the bullet, and walk through those gym doors- which is a really good option, or you can start at home.  The first option will allow you access to personal trainers, friends and support.  Contrary to what you have worked up in your mind, most people will applaud you- if they even notice you.  They are, after all busy with their own work-outs. It makes it more likely that you will use equipment correctly, and thus avoid injury.  It requires bravery, but you can be brave.

The second option, it is what I did.  Yup, I ran in my house.  I ran up and down my stairs until I worked up to 100 stairs. I lifted cans of beans. I did pathetic, floppy sit-ups. But I did do it.  After 2 years I worked up the courage to go to a boot camp.  Best thing I ever did!!  All women, (except for the instructor, but luckily, he looked exactly like my younger brother, so I wasn't intimidated),  I did it with a friend, and I tried to do everything full out.  By the end, I could hold plank, lift one arm and then the other, run dirty 30s and do a REAL sit up.  I could even pump out 28 boy push ups.  But I wouldn't have had the courage to do it if I hadn't started at home.  :)

Lastly, I have got to tell you- women who are 8 months pregnant still exercise.  They do push-ups off the wall instead of on the floor.  They waddle, they are slow, but they do it.  Everyone can do it.  The hardest part?  It isn't starting.  The first week is always easy.  The second, harder but you are focused.  It is the 3rd and 4th weeks, when real life creeps in and you have to adjust schedules and it is easy to skip days.  Don't do it- don't skip.  Find a time and do it for at least 25 min.  The hardest part is continuing when you are tired and bored and out of ideas.  But since you are going to watch Castle anyway- you really have no excuse.