You should, by now, be working on Step 1 - your attitude, Step 2 - Journalling your journey, and Step 3 - introducing water into your lifestyle. It's time to move on to Step 4 - get Moving !
Health Benefits of Exercise & Physical Activity - as listed at http://www2.gsu.edu/~wwwfit/benefits.html
- Reduce the risk of premature death
- Reduce the risk of developing and/or dying from heart disease
- Reduce high blood pressure or the risk of developing high blood pressure
- Reduce high cholesterol or the risk of developing high cholesterol
- Reduce the risk of developing colon cancer and breast cancer
- Reduce the risk of developing diabetes
- Reduce or maintain body weight or body fat
- Build and maintain healthy muscles, bones, and joints
- Reduce depression and anxiety
- Improve psychological well-being
- Enhanced work, recreation, and sport performance
We all know that an exercise programme is an essential part of our journey to a new lifestyle. But...we have to keep things real here ! If you have spent the last five years sitting in a chair watching TV - there is no way you are going to get up tomorrow and start jogging. You probably wouldn't even be able to. And that's okay. You don't have to. But you have to start somewhere.
If you are really in bad shape, the first thing you need to do is visit your Doctor or medical practitioner. Discuss with them the changes you are ready to make. Get the Doctor's advice. He may discover something that will prevent you from undertaking any exercise. Get checked out first. If you are given the all clear - start off slowly. Remember - baby steps. You are NOT going to deprive yourself of anything - you are going to add value to your life.
Start Walking
- If you drive a car to work and back - park a little bit further away than you usually do. Not miles away !! Just a little further. Allow yourself the time to take a few more steps than usual. Take a deep breath as you get out the car - enjoy the fresh air.
- If you are driving a journey that is less than a mile (yes...I've done it...often), make up your mind to walk. Allow enough time to get to your destination. Take your time. Take the camera and look for interesting things to photograph. If you have started an online blog (as advised in Step 2), upload the photos to your blog. Talk about your journey. Learn to appreciate your surroundings.
- If you are near enough, walk to school with the kids instead of driving. They will love it, and you will benefit from the exercise. Turn the trip into a nature project, look for interesting insects, or animals to discuss along the way.
- If you haven't walked in a long, long time, and find it very difficult - walk to your gate !! That's all. Just a few steps. You can do it. Then walk back and collapse into a chair if you have to. Just a few steps more than you did yesterday. What an accomplishment. What a victory - a GAIN !!
Remember - BABY Steps.
Start Moving
If, like I did, you have got to a point where your joints are stiff and your muscles are weak - life can be very uncomfortable. You creak out of bed in the morning. I've been there. At one time, my knees were so bad I was wondering how much longer they'd support me ! I started off slowly - sitting in a chair watching TV - but doing lower leg raises at the same time. Just ten, up and down - until it felt comfortable, and wasn't too sore. I did it often, and very soon I could do twenty without any trouble, and my legs felt better.
To get my arms moving, I started off raising them to the ceiling every time I boiled the kettle. I was alone, in the kitchen, and thought "Why not ?" Now it's become a habit - kettle goes on and my arms go up and down in the air. It gives the family a laugh too.
It doesn't have to be hard work - not to start with. Slow and sure wins the race. Of course, there may come a time when you are ready to join a gym, hire a personal trainer, run a marathon, whatever ! But you don't have to think that far ahead. Just think TODAY. What can you do TODAY that will make a difference - a small change - to your life ? Then do it. You CAN do it - however small a change it may seem to you.
In months to come, when you add up all the small changes you make to your lifestyle, you will realise that you really are going somewhere. And it will feel good. Each small change becomes a victory - a GAIN ! Go for it.
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