I’ve heard all the reasons why exercise is good for me. Doctors, manufacturers, fitness centers, and even the nightly news feeds me with information that tells me to get out of the chair and move. Now they have invented some set-up for kids that will send them “get up and move” alerts on their cell phone, if they notice the kid isn’t active. Maybe I should sign up for such a thing. But I would probably ignore it and keep typing…
Seriously though, I do work out 3-5 days a week. Some days I dread those mornings. But I get up and work out anyway because I have discovered two things about life:
1. Bodies age – and with aging come aches that herbs and pills won’t fix. Exercising minimizes these chronic pains, and honestly, I would rather exercise than hurt.
2. Full time computer use causes chronic pain – this may not be an issue for younger writers, but apparently that body aging thing changes the body’s ability to fight off issues such as tendinitis, carpal tunnel, trigger point pain, etc., etc., – weight strengthening workouts make a difference. I wonder how many other chronic illnesses are a result of jobs that are too sedentary…
Maybe I would rather not know…Doesn’t the Bible say, “bodily exercise profits little?” I remember thinking what a great excuse that was for not getting up and moving! We tend to look for excuses when we don’t like something, yes?
Truth is, I don’t like to exercise and I am nowhere near to loving it! I am not a runner who enjoys a runner’s high. I used to like swimming, but not enough to endure the effects of over-chlorinated pools. I have never found a single sport that interests me enough to get good at it. So how do I change an attitude of seeing exercise as tolerating a chore to actually loving the thing that will make me feel good?
If you have suggestions, I’d love to hear them. In the meantime, here is what I’m doing so far:
A 15-minute weight-training workout 3 times a week.
I do this first thing in the morning or I won’t do it. (Side note here: I workout before I eat, but sometimes I need the energy food provides to get through it, so I break my fast with a date and water. It helps!)
20-30 minutes on the treadmill 2-3 days a week. (This is a new goal which I’d like to do daily, so it’s not established yet.)
I listen to my iPod while I walk. Praise music makes all the difference and sometimes I don’t want to stop because I’m enjoying the song so much.
So tell me – what do you do to make exercise more pleasing? What exercises are your favorites and why? Send me an email through the contact page and let me know. I’d love to hear from you! Maybe we can learn to love this thing called exercise together!
Shalom~
