Get Movin'

Do you ever have those days when you wonder just what in the heck you're supposed to do? Eat this, don't eat that, buy this, don't buy that, this is good for you, this is not good for you … geez … will it ever end? We know how to do this, right? If you've got something ailing you, own it, research it, change it. Easy, huh? No, it isn't. But it should be. Why do we do what we do? Or rather why do we not do what we should do? Well, my friends … I do not know the answer to that. I can barely answer that for myself! I struggle daily with choices knowing full well the right thing to do. Most of the time, I'm pretty good, but believe me … I have my days! Knowing exercising helps reduce bad cholesterol and increase good cholesterol you'd think I'd be out the door and exercising, right? Well ...

One of my biggest struggles is getting more exercise. “Just walk thirty minutes day,” I hear and read every where I turn … really? How am I supposed to squeeze THAT into my busy day? And where? We have few sidewalks or walking trails where I live and we live in a hilly area which is not really good for my knees.

Another struggle is that exercise is boring -- well, it is for me. I liked step aeorbics but they canceled the classes. I liked yoga, but the classes are inconsistent. There are Zumba classes, but they fall on t-ball game days … and the rest is history. Am I right? Well, perhaps … so what's wrong with me? I'm lazy. Yep, you heard me … because I allow myself to be everything to everybody from my family to my boss and everyone in-between, I run out of time.

Then it hit me while I was out-of-town visiting one of my daughters. I have been making excuses for my lack of exercising for years … it's easy to blame someone else for my lack of motivation. So, since I had my six year-old grandson with me and because my daughter lives in a larger city than I we walked wherever we needed to go. A mile … two miles, three … no matter. I never enjoyed walking so much. After walking through a beautiful park we needed to walk along a four-lane for few minutes when my grandson spotted a incline and suggested we climb the hill. That hill was covered in overgrown vines … yes, it's spring here … and there were wildflowers and rocks … BIG rocks we would need to climb to get where we needed to go. Being over sixty and in pretty good shape, though no spring chicken, my daughter and I looked at each other and said, “Sure, let's do it!” Once we scaled the hill an immense sense of accomplishment filled me from head to toe. What fun! Our walk continued and we found ourselves in a small, well manicured park with a fountain. While my daughter busied her nephew, I dropped into the corpse pose and reveled in the way the grass tickled my back, legs, and arms. The sun kissed my face and I stretched, rolled over and pulled myself into downward dog … then cobra … child's pose … repeat … it was a marvelous feeling. Who needs a class? Why don't I do this every day … for me … just for me …?? Why do I let the world dictate what I do and when I do it? OK, there's work and ball games … there's grocery shopping and family responsibilities, but I asked myself … am I not worth it? Am I not worth feeling the best I can feel? All the time??? Of course I am … so I made a deal with myself … I WILL be getting up five minutes earlier until I've reached thirty minutes and I WILL walk each morning … boring or not … it's up to me to make my walks more enjoyable … I'm not sure how … but I'll find a way. Will you?