Tuesday, August 26, 2008

Start moving and KEEP moving/I think I can-I think I can-I think I can.....

I've had a hard time--actually, a terrible time--feeling motivated to exercise lately (lately being the last....two and a half months?). My lack of exercise has taken its toll, too--I'm a lot more grouchy, a lot more weepy, and a lot more prone to eat four or five pieces of chocolate cake in a day....less likely to deal well with everyday stress, less likely to handle my various tasks with ease and cheerfulness. In short, I wasn't all that pleasant to be around last week. So I started exercising again on Saturday, and then did again yesterday, and will (promise) again today. The change in my mood and general well-being is incredible. I realized that wanting to look better isn't near-enough motivation for me to get moving. And I don't think it should be the sole motivator, not ever. Because if you don't get the results you want when you want them, you quit. Or when you DO get the results you want, you quit because you're "there". See? It's not good either way! So, taking a page from my mom's book, I have made a list of reasons why I should exercise. Don't get me wrong. I love the superficial benefits of exercising. I like when I enjoy how I look. (Who doesn't?) But I need more reasons than that--more important reasons than that--if I want this to become a lasting habit.

This endeavor isn't all that noble, mind you. Phill has promised me a "prize" if I keep a consistent workout schedule for 3 months. (He offered the prize when I told him I needed something to work towards just to get me in the habit. It's a good prize.) I told him that I just needed to work out for about 6 weeks, and that if I could do that consistently, then I would be able to make it a habit and it would just become part of my schedule. Realistically, there will always be a day or a week when I'm not feeling up to it, no matter how long I've had the schedule going. But what I'm hoping is that my body will take over and my hands will of their own volition tie my shoelaces and I will find that my legs are walking me out the door. Or I'll find my hands turning on the DVD player and selecting the harder workout that I really don't want to do but really need to do.

So to make my commitment even stronger/daunting/set-in-stone, I'm announcing it here! Starting Saturday, August 23rd (because that's when I did start), I will exercise at least four days a week, for at least 25 minutes, and I will do this for 3 months. *gulp*

Here goes nothing.....

REASONS TO EXERCISE

You should.

It energizes you. (Then you get more done.)

It relieves stress.

It keeps your heart healthy and conditioned.

It makes your muscles and your immune system stronger.

Resistance exercises aid in maintaining (and building) bone density.

It’s fun. Sometimes.

You’ll feel SO good afterwards, and you’ll be proud of yourself.

It can help correct minor chemical imbalances that lead to depression.

It eases pre-menstrual symptoms and helps you stay on a more evenly-hormone’d track.

It helps regulate the appetite and encourages you to crave more nutritious foods. Sometimes.

Your kids will see you exercising and follow your good example, and you can claim some responsibility for the lasting health of your loved ones. And they’ll be proud of their strong mom.

And last, and mostly least:

It makes you look better.


13 comments:

Abby said...

Yay! Now it's my turn. I think I better move first...and start getting up at a more regular time. Bleh. Maybe I need a prize too. Must think on that.

So did Mom & Beccy email you their lists or did you end up doing one completely from scratch?

I'm going to have to print this out for myself.

Lara Neves said...

So are you gonna tell us what the prize is?

I should probably go exercise now. Thanks a lot for bringing it up. Sigh.

The Taylors said...

Do you ever feel that you have to say something but your not exactly why you are needing to say it out loud? That blog and the message within it was for me!! Its said that before you can lose the weight you have to have a moment where your eyes finally open and you see. Well for me it is more than staying fit. I NEED to loose weight. And I have known that but still find myself sleeping until the babies wake and eating a major helping of dessert. Sept 05 I went with Ro to a ball, I had to buy a dress and I remember feeling sad and fat as I tried it on. When I see the pics, (on my blog) I get so frustrated because I feel that i look so fat, my arm KILLS me, and I remember I didnt fully enjoy myself because I was very AWARE of what I thought I looked like. Well we have a ball coming up and I thought I could squeeze into that dress, its a skirt and halter so it should be forgiving. Late yesterday afternoon (sept 25) I pulled it out of the garage and tried it on... I couldnt even get it on!!! NOT IN THE LEAST BIT!!! Of course I broke down into tears and was so upset I could not even eat dinner. I feel embarrassed confused as to why it took so long for me to be knocked upside the head, but mostly embarrassed! Embarrassed for my kids to have a fat Mom, embarrassed for my hubby, and for myself!!! I got up this morning to do a video exercise and I am so out of shape that I could not even complete this easy work out. I needed those words today!! (in tears) Thank you my friend, you will never know how much I needed those words!! I plan to hang those words up for me to see everyday. Knowing there is someone else NEEDING the same thing at any extent!!! Ilove you, I love you, I love you.

The Taylors said...

i mean august not sept

Kristy said...

I feel ya! I love it when I can get in the habit... but it's so HARD (whine whine whine). And there always seems to be something. Like tonight for instance. I could actually go...it's the first time I have time in like the last two weeks. But I don't dare because I've had this yucky cold and now I'm wheezing...I can't breathe as it is, let alone trying to exercise. I LOVE exercise when I can get in the habit. when it's not a habit, it's such a chore...

Kendra said...

I needed my kid to go to school and Derrick to need the car to get me motivated.

Andrea said...

I get a push of motivation when I hear about my friends exercising. Thanks for your post.

MariePhotographie said...

You can do it!

And I, too, wanna know what this great prize is!

Kate said...

It would be so awesome if you still lived here. I workout every day but it would be so awesome to have a workout partner. I was thinking just today "is it really worth it, waking up EVERY day at 6 am to go running/walking. Will I ever see results? Thanks for the motivation and good luck to you.

Unknown said...

thanks for letting me know I am not alone in those guilty feelings, etc. I need to do better too - thanks for the inspiration!

Kate said...

Thanks for your comment on my blog about workouts. I usually run most of my workout. Last year I was running 9 miles every day and I have decided that isn't worth it, so now I run about 3-5 miles and walk about 3 miles a day, but I guess at least I feel energized, but I just need to deal with knowing my weight is where it is going to be forever.
Thanks again

Emnacnud said...

hey, i have just started working out again, it is nice to know some one else is trying to keep working out. do you remember a bbq at anna's house one summer night and we talked about how we both needed to recommit to reading the book of mormon every day? well we promised each other we would and it made me do it i finished the book and was so glad i did.
i promise i will work out for the same time as you have committed to do. thanks for the inspiration.

Heidi said...

I want to know what the prize is... :)

I loved your list of reasons, and still being in the "take it easy" stage postpartum, I find myself missing exercise. I dream about running again and I hope when I am okay to run I'll still have that motivation!

Trying to figure out what my incentive is, I think it's that I better appreciate my body when I exercise. I realize what a miracle it is that my body can even do these things (sorry, always influenced by the months of bedrest & the preemie thing... seeing how these little ones can struggle so much to make their bodies cooperate) and I feel like exercising is a small way for me to show my gratitude for the gift of a healthy body. My job is to try and keep it that way!

Thanks for the reminder... :) Working on response to your email, thank you for that.