Hey all, I know it has been a while since I have posted a challenge, and for that I am regretful, but I am really excited about today's blog and this weeks challenge. First off, I wanted to remind you all of my last challenge of "loving who you are." How did this go? I know it has been a few months... do you feel different? If you are like me, you maybe had some really great and positive days and maybe some not so positive days. That is okay. Remember that what we are trying to accomplish is healthy living, not just a temporary one time solution. So our goal is not to be perfect tomorrow, but to improve everyday.
Well, remember in my first blog how I told you how "I LOVE EXERCISE!!!!" well, this blog is going to be about that. Now before you think that this blog may not be for you... give me a chance. I want to rephrase that and say instead, " I LOVE that I have a body and that I can MOVE!!" It is so fun to be able to DO things! I have been super blessed the last year to have the time and desire to train for and run a half marathon. I love running and I get excited everyday for the opportunity to use my body to RUN! Now, I know that all people don't love to run and that is totally okay. You don't have to. I just wanted to tell the world how grateful I am to have a body and one that can MOVE!!! I love it! Whenever I have those unmotivated days where you don't want to get off the couch( and they do come sometimes) I just try to remember how not everyone has the opportunity to run... I need to take advantage of it.
Now, running might not be your thing, and that is okay. Maybe you love to dance( and let me remind you that you don't have to be good at something to love it). Maybe it you just like to walk around the block. Maybe you love to get on your bike and go for a leisurely bike ride. Whatever your movement-love is... do it. Now is the time. Your body is not getting any younger and you can feel good now.
My most recent half marathon
I know that this can sometimes be quite difficult. In fact, I have recently been working to overcome a new hurdle that is in my life. It is the hurdle of, "I have a 16 month old baby and a husband who is in school, and am working through some newly discovered health problems that make me feel sick and exhausted pretty much all the time." Even with these hurdles, I know that using and moving my body is one of the best things I can do to help myself through this. Life can be hard, and gets busy, but we need to remember that without a body, we couldn't do what we need or want to every day, so it is important to take care of it.
Okay, so then to start out, we need some guidelines. First off, remember that all health is cumulative. This means that even though we might have hiked 8 miles a week ago, we still need to exercise today. Just like we wouldn't want to eat only one day a week everything that we need for the week,(talk about making you feel sick), we can't just exercise one day a week and expect to have it last for the whole week. We need to make sure we move/exercise frequently(as in everyday) In fact, we need to do moderate intensity to intense exercise/movement 5-6 days a week for at least half an hour. For example, moderate intensity would be a fast walk. Now the cool thing is that this doesn't have to be all at once either. If you absolutely have to, you can break it up into 10 minute sections. Can you do this? YES!!!
You can do this. Lets say you have a break at work... you could walk around the block a few times, or you could even walk to work if your location allows it. Do you work at home? No problem! Take a break and go dance with your kids. Kids make great resistance weights too! Run around the back yard with them, lift them up, do the stairs! ANYTHING!!! Just move! You will be surprised how much better you feel when you move during a break from work. It will help you be more productive and it will increase your confidence.
Do you spend much time watching TV, or sitting at the computer? What if you changed all that time into productive movement time? While watching TV, do some jumping jacks or some push-ups. Get a exercise ball to sit at your computer desk with instead of a chair. This requires you to use your abbs more then you know. I have a dear friend who likes to set a goal before watching TV to do specific exercises when she hears different words being said. For example, if she is watching the TV show "Once upon a time," She would say that anytime "Emma Swan's" name is mentioned, she has to do ten push-ups, or anytime the evil queen hurts someone she has to do 20 jumping jacks. This allows her to be active and still watch her shows. Make it fun and it will be fun.
Remember, any change is hard, and sometimes we are not as successful as we want to be. Sometimes when we don't see success right away, or when we miss a day with our goal, we get discouraged . That is okay, just always remember that this is not an "all or nothing" experience. If you mess up, "tomorrow is always fresh, with no mistakes in it"(Anne Shirley). We should be setting our goals daily.
If you are having some struggles, remember that this is normal. It takes a while for your body to get used to change. I would recommend making daily evaluation notes in a day planner or calendar on how you feel about your success each day. What did you accomplish and how did it make you feel?
So, here is your challenge. MOVE!!! Everyday this week. Find something you like to do that gets you breathing faster and your heart pumping and go and do it! Move at least 30 minutes everyday in some kind of moderate intensity activity. I know you will gain more confidence in yourself, feel better and just want more. You CAN do this! Love your body. Show it how much you appreciate it by using it to move! Good Luck!
I would love to hear your comments about how this goes for you!
