What's Your Excuse?

Exercise...

We all know the benefit of activity-we know that it can boost metabolism, improve our moods, create an overall sense of well-being and prevent certain diseases, but we come up with all of those excuses as to why we can't exercise.  Why do we make these excuses?  What can we do to get past those excuses?  Let's spend some time talking ways to get move forward.

Personal Story

After chemotherapy, after radiation therapy, after medication after medication, I finally decided I needed to do something about taking care of myself.  Steve and I started walking in Australia and we continued when we got home we continued walking in Pollock Pines and it was tough.  I threw up, I passed out, I used my inhalers, I cursed Steve but each day I went a little further.  I walked and walked and then I started running and I never looked back...Were there setbacks?  Yes!!!  Were there days when I didn't want to exercise, are there still days when I would rather stay in bed?  Yes!!!  Are any of these your excuses?

It's too hot or too cold!
I have bad knees.
I don't have time.
I get sweaty.
I'm too tired.
I don't like it.
I don't like doing it alone.
I don't like doing it in public.
It's boring.
Gyms are expensive.

Come to the meeting this week and we will help bust these excuses.

All or nothing thinking has no place here...just because you may not able to squeeze in all the required exercise doesn't mean you shouldn't get moving as much as you can.  Take the stairs..pace while you are on the phone!

The American College of Sports Medicine recommends at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise five days a week or 20 minutes of high-intensive exercise three days a week.  They also suggest a comprehensive activity plan that includes 30-45 minutes of vigorous activity three days a week for cardio-respiratory fitness regular stretching for joint flexibility, and resistance training to maintain muscular strength and endurance.

While there are some obstacles which are health-related, others may simply be excuses.

Why is it hard to admit that our reasons for not exercising may be excuses?  I didn't want to admit that I couldn't do something...so if I didn't try I wouldn't fail!!  What I had to learn about myself was that if I didn't try, I would never know.  Step by step I learned that I could walk, I could run, I could train and after a while I really enjoyed it.  I can get sweaty and then I can take a shower, I had bad knees, but the more I worked out and the more weight I lost, the better my knees felt.  It could be boring but I found that I loved working out to music and that worked for me, I do enjoy working out by myself, it is my time to enjoy myself.

Think about your reasons and let's talk about them on Thursday....can't wait to see you..

Until then, here is a poem I found in the Oprah magazine..it truly described my journey and I thought you might find yourself in this poem also.

The Journey - Mary Oliver

One day you finally knew
what you had to do, and began,
thought voices around you
kept shouting
their bad advice --
though the whole house
began to tremble
and you felt the old tug
at your ankles.
"Mend my life!"
each voice cried.
But you didn't stop
You knew what you had to do,
thought the wind pried
with its stiff fingers
at the very foundations--
though their melancholy
was terrible.
It was already late
enough, and a wild night,
and the road full of fallen
branches and stones.
But little by little,
as you left their voices behind,
the stars began to burn
through the sheets of clouds,
and there was a new voice,
which you slowly
recognized as your own,
that you kept you company
as you strode deeper and deeper
into the world,
determined to do
the only thing you could do --
determined to save
the only life you could save.

Until Thursday,

Carol