Grab Your Happiness!
Move Happy. Feel Great.
I’ll just start out by saying that for most of my life I’ve hated exercising. (Except for dancing! I can do that anytime.) I would try to stick to an exercise video but either nearly killed myself trying to “get toned” or just got bored doing the same routine every time.
Once, I thought, “I’m totally getting fit and going to stick with it!” and I bought one of those 30-day ab videos. Three days into it I was walking like I was 105 years old and was sore all over. Even my sons where like, umm Mom, I think you’d better just forget that one.
But I was bound and determined not to let Jillian Michaels down and I really wanted that toned bod she was promising! So I suffered through those 30 days, and what did I get? Nothing! I didn’t lose any weight, I still had flabs instead of abs and didn’t feel good, I was just sore and disappointed.
The problem (I found out years later) was that I thought I had to do some super, intense workout in order to “exercise properly” and the truth was staring me in the face, but it took a while to see.
So, What Did You Do?
I didn’t have to do 50 ab crunches, 20 minutes of high powered aerobics, or anything like that. I just had to find a way to move my body and do it every single day. For me, it was as simple as walking.
I first started walking due to a digestive issue I was having, not really for exercise. A friend told me that walking after you eat helps your digestion, and I was at a point that I would try anything.
I started simply, just 5 to 7 minutes after each meal. I would walk in my neighborhood, in the backyard, or if it was raining, around my house. It didn’t matter where I walked or really the length of time, as long as I met my minimum and did it after every meal without fail.
That walking, along with eating happy, working happy and thinking happy, helped me get my health back and get to a more healthy weight.
I now walk 15 to 20 minutes after every meal, not because I had any grand plan to do more, but because I naturally walked a little longer when I wanted to. It felt good.
How can you Move Healthy and make exercise a regular part of your day? Read on! 🙂
Move Happy Today
If you’re like me and have always seen exercise as a chore, then forget what you always thought about it. Let’s not even call it exercise, it’s really about movement and just moving your body regularly.
I used to get winded if my son asked me to join him for a walk around the block, now I do it in double time! Did that happen overnight? No, it happened because I got my body healthier little by little and because walking was pleasant and easy, I didn’t get bored or give up.
For you it might be gardening or doing yoga or riding your bike, or walking, like me. The key is to make it a habit, part of your routine.
I did that by piggybacking on a habit I already had, eating meals. I walk after every meal, automatically. When you can attach a new habit you want to add to your life to a habit you already have, you have a much better chance of success.
For example, you might drink two cups of coffee each morning, that’s a comforting habit for many. If you wanted to add some body movement you could walk 7 minutes after that second cup of coffee and do it every…single…day. Just like you do with those cups of coffee.
It’s more important that you move your body consistently every day than anything else. You’ll naturally find yourself wanting to do more, walk an extra block, do 5 more minutes of Tai chi, get up during a commercial and just do something to move.
And guess what? Your body will respond! You’ll find you have more energy and that you feel better and stronger (all without killing yourself trying to “exercise”)!
