What are we trying to fit in? Eating right, exercise/activity, and stress management are all going to make it into your life. This is the part where I ask you to get out of your own way. Try not to succumb to that little voice that says “you’ve got to be kidding me.” Thinking the way you’ve been thinking all these years has not gotten you on the path of living well thus far. Change is good so embrace it!
Go and find that paper that you used to map out your week. Take a good hard look at it and see what days are your “light” days. Let’s face it. Some days are better than others. Take those better days and look at them as opportunities. You don’t need to find huge chunks of time. Remember, three 10 minute chunks of moderate activity, is as effective as 30 consecutive minutes. First try and see if you can find at least one 30 minute chunk. If you can, use it! Find an activity that you enjoy and fits your current fitness level. If it’s fun you’ll be more likely to do it… see!
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If you can’t find something you really love, just find something you don’t hate. Something I try to tell myself is “you only have to do it for 10 minutes”. This is usually enough to get me started and of course I end up working out for more than that. One thing that is inevitable is feeling better when your activity of choice is all said and done. Keep a variety of choices for activity in your bag of tricks. This will keep you from getting bored or injured. Walk everywhere you can. Take the stairs whenever you can (even if it’s not a piano). Move quickly throughout your day. Carry things instead of pushing if you can. Whatever it is that you are doing fitness-wise, make an effort to do a bit more every week. Changes in your body and overall health depend on making progress. Just a wee bit more time or effort can reward you many times over in the future.
Every day you should try and take a few moments to close your eyes and breathe. Take a 7 second inhale, hold for 7 seconds, exhale for 7 seconds. It works like magic and you should try it now. This blog isn’t going anywhere, I’ll wait. Also try and listen to music that moves you. It doesn’t need to be a song you want to dance to, but it could be. It could also be music that calms you or brings back a favorite memory of yours. Compile a “happy track” on your ipod/mp3 thing. It will be your savior on a particularly stressful day. Try some silence. Instead of flipping on the TV or the radio every morning when you come into your kitchen, try nothing. If you start out every morning in silence, try your “happy track”. Change it up and see what feels good to you. Simply changing what you hear can have an effect on your mindset for the day. This will also probably catch your family off guard and everyone knows how much fun that can be. Often times we don’t know we are in a rut until we make a change. Make a change!
Until next time….Live Well! – Toni Kuhel
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