I have been working out regularly for the past 3 months, which is something that I have not been able to accomplish in my 22 years until recently. I grew up watching my parents skip exercise for long hours of work, building a family business, taking care of my sisters and me, and a myriad of other things that were just more important to them than exercising. I don’t say this to downplay or undermine everything that my parents did for me. I just pointed this out to say that exercising wasn’t as important in my family as other things like education, religion, integrity, and work ethic. So as an adult, it has been difficult for me to incorporate exercise into my life since other things always seem to take precedence.
Being tall and skinny despite eating junk food and fast food all the time and not exercising did not help my lack of will power to become physically fit. Even in college when a lot of people gained a lot of weight, I was able to skip putting on a ton of extra pounds somehow. Besides the inch or two I gained in my hips, I have pretty much stayed the same size since I was 14 years old.
It wasn’t until I moved in with my husband that I started seeing exercise in a different light. Chris has been working out regularly for the past ten years. His whole attitude toward fitness is different than most people I encounter. Exercise isn’t #15 on his daily to-do list. Exercise isn’t something he puts off until tomorrow only to be forgotten or brushed off for something “more important”. He usually hits the gym first thing in the morning, which I have found is a great way to start your day. Luckily, some of this is rubbing off on me. My new found desire to be more physically fit is just one of the good habits that I have picked up from my new husband.
Making physical fitness a top priority is the best gift you can give to yourself. Chris thinks I am crazy, but I swear I am seeing and feeling results! My abs look a little more toned. I am able to make it up the stairs in our house without gasping for air when I get to the top.
Also, there is nothing like the mental benefits of exercise. The fact that I make it to the gym 4 or 5 times a week, gives me personal satisfaction that I have never felt before. Exercise is empowering. It makes me feel like I am in control, and I am taking necessary steps to make a positive difference in my own life.
My goal is to exercise 4-5 times per week and to not let more than 2 days lapse between workouts. I only worked out three days last week. Recently, I took a four day break from the gym, and I did not reach my goal last week. It wasn’t because I was really busy or my schedule was unusual. I just didn’t feel motivated and laziness took over. Instead of beating myself up and making a big deal out of missing my goal last week, I decided to put it behind me and redirect that negative energy into meeting my goal this week.
I’m finding that thinking positively is an essential part of me improving my physical fitness. If I feel exhausted while I am in the middle of Yoga class, I’m not hard on myself. If I feel like I am about to pass out after 20 minutes of the elliptical, I don’t beat myself up for being out of shape. All of this is a journey. I know I am not going to be able to do a triathlon a few months into my regular workouts, so I don’t sweat it. This isn’t to say that I don’t push myself when I workout, because I most certainly do. I just don’t beat myself up for getting tired or falling off my game for a day or so.
While I am improving massively in the exercise department, eating right is still an uphill battle. Sugary foods like candy, doughnuts, and ice cream are hard to resist. But, I’m taking it one day (and craving) at a time.
Are you a health freak? And do you work out regularly?
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