Thursday, June 24, 2010

Time to Get MOVING!

We've heard about the two main things to change in our lifestyle in order to be healthy. We've heard these two things so much for so many years that they roll off of our tongues and we never really stop to think about whether we're actually doing them...or we know we're not doing them and we feel at least a little bit guilty about planning to start "later", when the timing is better....

Diet and Exercise. Those are the two things.

Wanna guess which one I haven't done regularly for YEARS?

Yes, I have good reasons. We all do.

I was not born into a sporty family. My parents did not play any kind of sports or exercise much, and I was not encouraged to do much, other than take up tennis a little. See, I was one of those girls everybody loved to hate--I could eat whatever I wanted and still had a good figure. So I didn't really have the motivation to start something I didn't like. In college I learned to walk and work out at the gym because everyone else was doing it, but I really never liked it. Same with chiropractic school, but I did learn to like it better. When I graduated and moved back to Florida, I lived on my own. I joined a gym and took early morning walks on the beach.

And then I got married, moved across the world to a different culture (without any family or friends), and had babies. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. Learning how to and now managing a home for seven people leaves things like exercising by the wayside.

And now that I'm 36 years old and have had five babies, well, my figure isn't exactly what it once was. And my energy is.....lacking. To say the least.

It's time for a change.



I need to walk the walk, not just talk the talk of health. After all, I'm giving tips on how to be healthier, right? I'm sure you'd agree that I should be a person who actually exercises regularly, not only for my own health but so that you can feel good about trusting me to help you on your path to health.

So this is my plan so far:



  • I've been doing about 5-10 minutes in the morning on the floor which includes stretching, stomach crunches, push-ups, and back extensions. Not a lot, just a little and I will increase it as I gain strength.
  • This morning I took an early morning walk after my floor exercises for about 20 minutes. It was wonderfully energizing. I'll try to do that most mornings plus the floor workout from 6 to 6:30 AM.
  • Hubby bought a home gym machine for weight training. I'm not sure when I'll fit that in, but probably in the afternoon during nap time. I'm always sleepy and it will help wake me up. It's getting delivered at the end of the week. I'm excited that we're in this together.
  • And a mini-trampoline. It's in the living room. I can certainly put on some fun music and dance for a few minutes each day. I hope we can find some place to keep it when it's not in use...


Just like everything that's good for you, exercising is part of a lifestyle change. And changes need to be approached in a way that is simple and most importantly DO able. That means to take babysteps so that you don't crash and burn.

I think I can realistically commit to 1/2 hr each morning. I don't think it's realistic to commit to an hour. So I won't. I want to be successful in reaching my goal.

I think I can probably commit to about 15 minutes each afternoon, but for this week I'm going to focus on the morning habit. Every little bit counts.

Jonathan Roche coined a term I love. It's the No Excuse Work Out. (NEWO). No excuses, because it can take only 6 minutes. And everyone has 6 minutes! You can listen to his weekly BlogTalkRadio show here.

I can use all the encouragement I can get, and I'd like to cheer you on too. What's your exercise routine or challenge?



4 comments:

  1. Hiya!
    What an inspiration you are and I HAVE to ask how do you fit working out around your kids (I mean I make an effort to run and jump with my kids but thats it!) My youngest is 7 months and I'm not quite healthy there yet to start working out but I really need some good energy.
    How do you motivate yourself and find time?

    Take care

    ReplyDelete
  2. Kim! Good for you. This is the first step in the right direction. You're doing several things right:
    1. You've set a time of the day that you're committed to exercising;
    2. You've made your goals realistic;
    3. You've found a form of exercise you can enjoy.

    As you continue to improve your muscular and cardiovascular strength as well as your flexibility and tone, you may start to look for new things to do that you may also enjoy. So let me know... I've tried a lot of them.

    I'm a firm believer that "anyone can do it." Watching The Biggest Loser is a testament to that.. So I like the "No Excuse" plan. Keep it up. Keep moving. And reach out when you need support, as you did today. Excellent post - be proud!

    And ps - YES, I was definitely a tad envious of your figure in college ("how does she do that?" i used to ask.)

    ReplyDelete
  3. Hi Dr Kim! Glad you're putting your resolution on your blog - we will be happy to keep you accountable! LOL I love the NEWO system...it's taken me (43 tomorrow!) from being a couch potato to running a 5k. Given me energy. Moreover it's given me confidence to do lots of other things in my life... :) I've made lots of references to it over on my blog, but you might be interested to read this particular post

    http://dianedenmark.blogspot.com/2009/09/champagne.html

    The only advice I can give you is to start small. Very small. But remember that every day you can make good choices. Water vs coffee. The stairs vs the elevator. 15 push ups before you get out of bed in the morning. 15 push ups against the kitchen wall, when you're making pancakes. Park furthest away from the shops. Fruit instead of chocolate (don't quote me on that one...!). Just like the Flylady system, all those babysteps add up.

    Good luck! And let me know if you need an exercise buddy... :D

    ReplyDelete
  4. Thanks, Shane & Diane for the encouragement. I'm really excited about this. I know I'm really ready for a change. You know, sometimes you just know.

    Anonymous:I'm so glad to do anything I can to help. As for when I fit it in: well, you saw my schedule. I'm planning to do 6 to 6:30 in the morning, before anyone is up. I'll get the baby at 6:30 and the other boys at 7:30 (I try to get 1/2 hr of computer time in there too). And I'll plan to add about 15 minutes in the afternoon after I've got the morning habit. Another few minutes dancing on the trampoline at some point, and I'm done. I'm talking 45 mins-1hr max, broken up. You can do it!

    ReplyDelete

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