Exercise

I hate it. I don’t want to do it. And it hurts. I know you were waiting for a “but” to come along though it won’t. That’s the God’s honest truth. Exercise it evil and always will be.

Years ago I started doing Tae-Bo every other day. I was very good at it and was starting to see results. It was really cute too as I would watch our oldest, who was maybe 18 months at the time, try the moves with me. Then I had a four-wheeler accident that tore my ACL in my left knee. That was all there was to that. I couldn’t walk anymore let alone try to keep up the kick boxing. So I started on my climb back up the scale. Grrrr.

I wish I had owned a scale back then, I would be curious as to what I was weighing in at my lowest. But I didn’t. Now I weigh myself daily. Yes, I know I’m supposed to only do it once a week but call me obsessed. I HAVE TO KNOW!

And exercise is inevitable. I suppose. If I must.

I applaud those who run. I’m just not one of you. Maybe some day but definitely not today.

Exercise for me will be a constant Journey. It’s something that I know I will have to do eventually and maybe even consistently but oh my, it’s a scary thought.

And I have a lot of friends who are very dedicated to their routines. They go running, they do marathons, they bike, they go to the gym, they walk at lunch time. I’m just not there yet.

But let me tell you something.

I will be. In my own time.

But it’s not going to be at a gym. This I know. I’ve tried all that at one time or another. I know I have to get active, I just don’t think I have to be on a schedule. I want to do exercise that’s fun. And maybe running is fun to you. GREAT! Just don’t ask me to do it.

Now, hiking is probably the one form that I would like to try. And soon. This is because I can go at my own pace and I can take my children. I can go somewhere pretty and I can teach my children about nature. We can see animals and we can take photos. This is my kind of exercise.

It’s all about movement. I know this. Since I know I’m not going to tone anything by sitting on the couch watching Bob work out that chick who’s smaller than me and it’s not going to magically rub off onto me. I have to be realistic. There was a time not too long ago that I thought we should buy a treadmill. It’s a big expense. And one that I could justify. “oh, I could walk and watch TV at the same time and the weather doesn’t have to be nice to use it.” Sure, Right. Like any of that was going to happen. I was going to shove it in a corner and probably yell at my kids to stay off it when I would probably never get on the thing. So thankfully I don’t have a “gently” used one to sell to you.

I know that eventually I will have to do something, and it’s in the grand plan. But I know myself. It has to be something that’s easy to start, that I will enjoy and not necessarily with other people. I don’t want a work out buddy. I don’t need that kind of pressure or the guilt that comes with it.

Please understand, if you know these things would work for you please be my guest and sweat away. I am just trying to be honest with myself. And I will totally eat my words if for some reason the ghost of exercise takes over my brain and I am suddenly thinking Richard Simmons had it right all along and I become a short wearing, exercise queen.

This could happen……….extremely unlikely…………but you never know.

I am not trying to tell you not to take up some form of movement but I know many of you are shaking your heads in agreement that there are just some things you do not want to do.

But I know I have to move. And I will. Promise. I actually owe it to myself to show my children that getting moving is a good thing. And they make pills for the after effects too. Gotta love Ibuprophen! There are days that I dream of what it would be like to be one of those women I see running the lake. What would my children think of their mom if I was the one with the cool stroller? And the tight buns? They would still think “my moms embarrassing!”

Because we still embarrass our kids, whether we’re fit or not. We are still “old” even if we definitely aren’t. But I need to show them a good example.

So here’s the plan:

1) Change diet, eat healthier and bring healthier food into the house (check)

2) Move. Have fun, play Just Dance, go for a walk around the property, take them to the beach, go to the mountain. (this is next)

3) Reap the benefits.

This quote sums it up. And I don’t know who said it. But it goes like this “even if you’re going slow, you’re still lapping everyone on the couch”

Move with me. Even though we’ll hate most of it, we might just like the effect it will have on our bodies and minds.