R – REJOICE in the gift of another day of life!
E – EXERCISE your body. This doesn’t have to be some major workout. Just take a walk around the block or play ball with your kids for a little while.
S – SIMPLIFY expectations. Just for this one day, don’t worry about being productive.
T – TREAT yourself to something you think is luxurious – a long bath, a crossword puzzle, reading ALL of the paper, an extra dessert – whatever makes you feel a little bit special.
The month of March has not been my best as far as my exercise habit is concerned. Because of Spring Break and baseball season and various other commitments, I have had more days NOT exercising than days where I was exercising. On the days when I am not at the gym, I hear a voice in my head saying “testing, testing 1,2,3, testing”. It’s like someone is testing a microphone except the microphone is fine and I am the one they are testing!
I started my exercise habit last November and I have done well. I have really made it a habit and a consistent part of my life. Occasionally, I have even missed it when I had to skip a day. In the past, when I have recommitted to exercise, something like the month of March always happens. I go great guns for the first few weeks; I hit a little slump; and I quit altogether. This time, I just listen to the voice saying “testing, testing, testing” and I smile.
Yes, I am in a little slump with my exercise. It is a test. This time, though, I am going to pass the test! Maybe this time is different because I committed to exercise for my health and not just for some short-term goal. Maybe this time is different because I have come to see my exercise as something that I am doing for myself. Maybe this time is different just because my attitude is different. Honestly, I don’t know why this time is different. I just know that I am not quitting.
There may be a couple of more days of voices before I get totally back on schedule. That’s ok. They’ll go away soon enough. Until then, I don’t mind the company while I am walking!
8:47 a.m. IN THE CARPOOL LINE TO DROP OFF AT PRESCHOOL
“If I can get to the gym and one of the better treadmills is open, I’ll be going by 9:05 a.m.”
8:51 a.m. PULLING OUT OF THE PRESCHOOL PARKING LOT
“OK. I am making good time. What a pretty day…I’ll open the sunroof. Now, let me change to my radio station…”
8:59 a.m. PARKING AT THE GYM
“What is that they say about parking as far away from the door as you can? That is supposed to help burn extra calories, right? Great, there is a spot right up front! I’ll take that one.”
9:01 a.m. STARTING IS THE HARDEST PART
“Signed in…treadmill is open…good. Hang jacket, fire up my iPod…I am a little bit early. Maybe I’ll be out of here by 10:00 a.m…Oh, yeah, today is my day to catch up and do 60 minutes. I hate those days!”
9:04 a.m. AM I HAVING FUN YET?
“I should probably add a couple of extra minutes to the timer so that I can REALLY walk at my workout speed for the full 60 minutes. I don’t how those elliptical machine people can do those things. It hurts me just to watch.”
9:06 a.m. UP TO SPEED
“Should I go faster than 3.0 today? I always think I could do better than that, but I am never comfortable when I speed up to more than 3.1 or 3.2. I know, I’ll go up to 4.0 and run a little bit and then back off.”
9:06:34 WHOSE IDEA WAS THIS?
“I am not a runner. What am I doing running at this speed? I have only been going for about 17 seconds here. I should try to make at least 1 minute on the running part.”
9:07 a.m. GOOD ROUND NUMBER
“OK. That was fun. The timer just got to a new minute…that’s a good round number and a good place to stop running.”
9:11 a.m. HELLO DOUBLE DIGITS!
“OK. I made it to 10 minutes. I am 1/6 finished and, if I want to, I can stop at 30 minutes so that means that I am already 1/3 finished. I really shouldn’t stop at 30 minutes, but I like knowing that I can. Maybe I’ll do 40 minutes here and 25 on the bike?”
9:15 a.m. I HAVE TO ADMIT THAT I DO FEEL BETTER
“Why am I doing this again? I am sweaty and I would rather be doing something else (like eating a cheese pastry and reading the newspaper at Panera)! I don’t like being sweaty. I need to remember to get a towel when I come in next time. If anyone asks, I’ll have to admit that exercising does make me feel better, but I don’t like doing it. I DON’T THINK I EVER WILL!”
9:21 a.m. TWENTY MINUTES AND COUNTING
“All I HAVE to do is 10 more minutes…I can do that…no big deal. At least I’ll be out of here in time to get to the store on my way home. Now, what do I need at the store? I really need to make a list and I don’t have time to make a list. Maybe we’ll go out tonight (again) and I’ll go to the store tommorrow. I wonder which I dislike more – cooking or working out?”
9:29 a.m. CLOSE TO 30
“I can’t stop at just 30 minutes. I’ll do at least 35.”
9:36 a.m. DECISION TIME
“I don’t feel too bad. I think I’ll do 10 more minutes. I wish I could 1½ checks on my goal tracker. I don’t like having to do either 30 or 60 to get credit. Maybe I’ll e-mail that guy and see if he can change that.”
9:38 a.m. MUSIC OR TALK
“At least I can catch up on my talk radio while I am walking. I would never be able to listen to these shows uninterrupted at home. I LOVE podcasts! I might walk better if I had music though. Maybe I need to load a workout playlist? OR, I could just mix some music in between the podcasts that I have downloaded…I think I’ll definitely see if I can find an applause clip to play every 10 minutes. If I think people are clapping for me, maybe it will inspire me.”
9:44 a.m. AM I SKINNY YET?
“Oh man do I hate this! It’s better than the balance ball (that thing almost killed me) but not much. It shouldn’t be too long before I can walk outside some. I work harder when I come here, but it is more interesting to see the real world. Maybe 3 days here and 3 days out…”
9:46 a.m. KEEP GOING?
“I can do 15 more minutes…I’ll slow down a little now and that will help…”
9:50 a.m. AUTOPILOT
“Dave Ramsey just makes me smile! I cannot believe that people will call in and tell the whole world the stuff they tell him. I am not sure I would have enough guts to do that.”
9:56 a.m. PAT ON THE BACK
“Yes, I hate doing this. Yes, I wish I could skip it. Yes, I am proud of myself when I finish each day. Keep going, just 5 more minutes.”
9:59 a.m. THE LONGEST PART
“These last 2 minutes always feel like 2 days. I wish I could walk with my eyes closed so I would not look at the timer so much. If I closed my eyes, I would definitely lose my bearings and ride right off the back of this thing!
10:00 a.m. COUNTING DOWN
“I am happier about this countdown than ANY New Year’s Eve party I have ever been involved with. 10, 9, 8, 7, 6…
10:01 a.m. NO PROBLEM
“That feels pretty good…I don’t know why I don’t do 60 minutes every day! OK, now on to my cheese pastry!”
By Rachel Langston
I got an iPod Shuffle for Christmas. I wanted one so that I could listen to something at the gym without having to worry about radio reception if I wasn’t lucky enough to get the treadmill closest to the window!
Actually, I prefer listening to talk radio when I exercise (sports talk radio to be precise) but I was willing to expand my musical horizons to help me pass the exercise time. At least I THOUGHT I was willing. That was before I discovered podcasts!
Now, a whole new world has been opened and my exercise life will never be the same. I knew that podcasts were gaining popularity but I had no idea of the number and variety that exist. There is somebody talking about everything (and I do mean everything)!
Now, my exercise time is full of talk on sports, money, business information and strategies, book reviews, movie reviews, sermons from well-known preachers and all kinds of stuff. Using my exercise time to listen to these podcasts is helping the time pass more quickly than it would otherwise AND it is helping me learn things about owning/running my business at the same time. I am actually listening to what is being piped into my ears instead of obsessing about how long I have exercised and how much longer I have to go! I get information from a podcast much more quickly and concisely than I would listening to a radio show and I can listen on my schedule, instead of having to tune in at a certain time to a certain station.
Who knew that I could kill 2 birds with just 1 little podcast?
Copyright, RPL Communications, 2007
by Rachel Langston
I don’t like to exercise! That is not to say that I don’t like anything physical. I do enjoy playing tennis and swimming and playing basketball (even if I don’t do any of those things very often). I just don’t like the idea of having to do physical things and call it exercise. I would rather think that I am playing a game and getting some physical benefit at the same time. The idea of an organized “work out” makes me crazy. I would almost rather cook or clean house! If you know me or if you have ever been to my house, you know that those things don’t happen very regularly either.
Anyway, I recently recommitted myself to regular exercise. There were a number of reasons for that not the least of which is becoming healthier. So, I worked on my attitude about exercise and decided that it was finally time to do this, even if and when I didn’t want to.
I have been at this since mid-November. I have missed some days but, overall, I have exercised more days than I have missed and I count that as a huge accomplishment. Imagine my surprise when, this past Monday, I realized that the gym was closed for the MLK Holiday and I was upset because that meant I couldn’t go exercise. I think my husband thought that he had come home to the wrong house!
It is not that I like the actual activity (walking, stationary bike, etc.) so much. In fact, I really don’t like to sweat if I can keep from it. What I like, though, is that I gain a sense of having done something when I am finished. It means that I have made a good choice for that day and I have made myself just a little bit healthier, stronger, energetic, etc. Tommorrow, I have to face that same choice all over again. Having made a good choice the day before gives me a little advantage to make the same good choice again.
My husband (a diligent exerciser) has done a great job of not rubbing my face in this, but, truly, there is none more surprised than I!
Copyright, RPL Communications, 2007
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