So... why do I do it then?
Delayed gratification.
I know the benefits I will get from working out will far outweigh the momentary struggle it is for me to get there.
I hate working out and getting sweaty and raising my heart rate. But, I know that my bursts of muscle contraction and heart pumping will burn fat, boost my metabolism, and, most importantly to me: release endorphins that are more effective in stabilizing my mood than any SSRI known to man.
In my first year of graduate school, we reviewed a study that showed people who exercised moderately on a regular basis were happier, lived longer, and had measurably higher levels of immunity and lower levels of stress. Um, hello, sign me up for all of that, please. (Especially with the nasty flu bugs going around this year... I'll take all the immunity I can get!)
**On a side note, this study also found that people who exercised very vigorously on a regular basis were actually significantly LESS healthy than the group who did not exercise at all. Surprising, huh? The healthiest group, by and large, were the moderate exercisers. Everything in moderation. Even exercise.
Lastly, I exercise because every woman in my family has moderate to severe arthritis by the time they are 50. This predisposition combined with my congenitally malformed shoulders has given me the early blessing of moderate arthritis already, at age 26. I was recently told I would need a replacement shoulder by age 40-45. I know that exercise and movement are some of the best ways to combat arthritis (along with diet... But that's a topic for another day). So, in addition to my little elliptical workout I swim laps at least 3 times a week. An added bonus of this is that the more I move my shoulders, the less they hurt. It's a win win.
So, there's the "why". The "how" is the hard part. Here's what I've found helpful:
1. Make it fun. I cannot stress this emphatically enough. Good lord, if you do nothing else, make it fun.
I read while I am on the elliptical. If you know how much I love reading you'll understand that this is motivation in itself. And let's be honest, I have an 11 month old... I'm not gonna read anywhere else, unless it's "Goodnight Moon" or "Chica Chica boom boom". Find ways to make it fun, whatever that means for you. iPod loaded? TV set to your favorite drama? Running outside with your pooch? Yoga with your hubby? Whatever works.
2. Make it easy. This is another must. Because let's be honest... If it isn't easy you are not gonna do it. Keep your gym bag packed in your car. Leave your yoga mat in the living room where you will trip over it. Again, whatever it takes!!
3. Let there be rewards. Whether it is the financial incentive from your insurance company to go to the gym, a new pair of running shoes after a month of daily workouts... Find whatever motivates you. At the end of my workouts, I like to jump in the sauna or hot tub and melt away for a few minutes. It's my little heaven on earth (especially in the winter!!). I also enjoy ridiculously long, hot showers after my workouts. The water never gets cold at the YMCA, and since I already pay them I don't feel bad for using a plethora of it. (Saves our home water bill, too.) This is my favorite reward. Seriously, between the thought of this little treat and a good book I can drag myself to the gym on my laziest day.
4. Just do it. Every single day. I'm not saying spend 2 hours at the gym every day... But do something. Go for a walk, roller blade, stretch, do a home workout video, swim with your kids, play tennis with the neighbor... you get the idea. Mix it up. Right now, I do yoga and Pilates on days I don't make it to the gym. In the summer, there are a lot more walks and outdoor activities! Whatever you do, just make a point to be active every day. 20 minutes a day is a good goal, but be realistic. If 5 is all you can do, start there. It's contagious... Before you know it you'll be up to 30 minutes.
5. DON'T MAKE IT ABOUT POUNDS. This is probably my favorite. I do NOT go to the gym "to lose weight". Period. I think it's unhealthy, unrealistic, and depressing to "weigh in" or work out only to lose weight. Is it a lovely by-product? Yes, sometimes it is. Does it matter? In my opinion, no. Work out to be healthy, and to take care of the one and only body God gave you. The same should go for eating, sleeping, and almost anything else you do. Does it glorify God to see you frustrated with that twenty pounds you wanted to lose? Or, when you exercise and eat healthy to care for His precious gift: your body? In the end, the results will be the same without the mind-numbing, self-loathing, guilt-fest on the way there. Some of the sickest people I have known were the thinnest, and some of the healthiest people I know are medically "overweight". Avoid scales. Trust your body. Being healthy IS NOT a number on a scale, it's a lifestyle.
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