The Investment of Exercise, The Payoff Of Your Life

I must admit, if I didn’t have to exercise to maintain my weight, keep healthy, and continue the habits of my lifestyle, I would not exercise.  Nope, I don’t particularly love it.  I didn’t carry around 147 pounds of excess weight for the majority of my life by enjoying exercise.  However, what I do love is my life that I have due to exercise being an important component of my life I enjoy today.  If it requires an investment of 30-45 minutes per day a few days a week to keep all the benefits of weight loss and health, it’s worth it.  Actually, it is a minimal investment for a huge payoff.  When I don’t want to exercise (and believe me, there are many times that kicks in!), I remember that it’s a minimal investment for a giant payoff.  For me, that’s my motivation.  Through coaching, we can find what motivation kicks in healthy habits for you.

There are many types of exercise.  It doesn’t have to be something you hate or find boring.  Try any activity at least once.  I’ve heard a lot about Zumba recently so I’m going to check that out.  Maybe I’ll like it and maybe I won’t.  At least I tried and I’ll know.  Hey, maybe I’ll LOVE it and it’ll be fun rather than exercise only.  My next thing I’m going to try is kickboxing…..Expand your exercise horizon.

Combine your exercise with something you love.  Do you like watching dvd’s, listening to audio books, your favorites on your iPod?  Include these into your exercise routine.  Reframe your exercise time rather than “ugh” to “Me Time” and savor the time just for yourself.

After you’ve exercised and you feel great, write it down.  Write down your feelings both physically and mentally about yourself.  When you’re at that “do I want to exercise or not,” you can pull out your journal and remind yourself of the exhilaration you obtain after exercising.  The feeling of personal empowerment, strength, your body moving, clearer thinking, and the amazing and satisfying sense of achievement from merely moving your body.

I wish I could say that I that I love to exercise.  I can’t.  However, I can say that I LOVE the investment benefits of only 30-45 minutes per day to be in love with my life.  Who knows, after I’ve done Zumba or kickboxing or ???, I may be in love with exercising! 

Believe In Yourself,
Cathy