Exercise...

I have to say that I'm not, have never been and am not likely to be one that likes to exercise. That said, I recognize that it's necessary to support my new life;

- It helps me build muscle so that I'm more toned and my body's metabolism allows me to enjoy more of the foods I'd like to have.

- It helps me build bone density that helps me fight osteoporosis.

- It helps me manage my my emotional eating by providing an effective distraction and elevating my mood.

So while I'll probably never be a 'Gym Rat', I've found ways to incorporate it into my routine. Since, I'm not so good at 'exercise', here are a few things that I do to support my health and well-being: 

* Wear a pedometer - it helps me remember to move my tail as I work to make sure that I'm getting in at least 10K steps a day. It prompts me to park farther away from my destination, take the stairs, etc... so that I can rack up those steps. 

* Dance - I never really equate dancing with exercise, so even though I'm no Ginger Rodgers, I will crank up the music in the house and dance while I do my household chores, enjoy a Zumba or Jazzercise class or go dancing. It gets my heart rate up and I feel wonderful while doing it. 

* Gardening - I have never really liked getting dirty or sweaty, so gardening was something I always hired out or got someone else to do, in part because I didn't like doing it and in part because it was just to hard to do. Now, I still don't 'like' doing it, but I love the result I see in my garden and my body, and absolutely LOVE that I can do it. 

* Swimming - Swimming was one of the few exercises I enjoyed even when I was heavy. I used to be somewhat concerned about what I looked like in a suit when I was heavy and I still have concerns now that I'm slender, but it's an activity I enjoy so I do it when I have the opportunity.

What do you do to get moving and how does it impact your life?

Hi Barbara, I guess if your used to sports you will always enjoy (health pending) work outs of all sorts. I am not a great sleeper and as such rise up and early (4am) and hit the pavement jogging every morning. I am not lightening McQueen by any sorts by can do the mile in about 8 minutes and generally get 3 miles done in about 25 minutes. I shower, have breakfast, read the news and head out by 6am to work. I repeat the same jog later on in the evening about 8pm and find that its more than adequate to help me relax, get the tension out of my system and burn a few calories in addition! We tend to focus more on the physical benefits of work outs but cannot underestimate the effects it has on our minds too (I still have a bit of mine left!!!).  The early morning jog gives me tons of energy for the day and the evening jog gets me tired enough for sleep a couple of hours later and if I miss one workout I feel like I lost something and certainly stressed more. Regards, Napoli

Napoli,

I agree that the benefits of exercise extend far beyond our physical health and significantly impact our mental and emotional well being. 

Thanks for bringing it up!

Wishing you continued good health,

Barbara - Love the pedometer idea! 

Napoli - Ive always admired runners, its something even as a child Ive always hated so my hats off to you!

Personally I did some Tai Chi for a while and would like to get back into that as a stress relief and stretch routine but I plan on being a little more daring once I get some of this weight off. I just look forward to the day when I dont look like a cow in a tutu doing whatever it is!