Just like brushing my teeth...

[Guest guest]

My sister and I have had a few conversations the past few weeks about making

exercise a habit. The diet mentality can go with exercise as well, like when I

reach a certain weight, I will be finished. But the truth is, I should never be

" finished " exercising! It is a healthy habit, and it's important for a

lifetime, not just until a certain weight. My sister is one of those rare

people who is still a true intuitive eater in adulthood, and she is at a healthy

weight, but she struggles with making exercise a habit just like I do.

We've decided to think of exercise like brushing our teeth. There are days I'd

rather not brush my teeth (I'm tired, I don't want to spend the two minutes, I

just want to go to bed.) But I would NEVER not brush my teeth. That thought

would never be bigger than the compulsion of habit.

Conversely, there are days it feels great to brush my teeth. When I crave the

nice clean feeling. Or when I have a cold, and it feels like a massage to the

sinuses. But I would never expect it to feel that wonderful each time.

Theoretically, I would love to have such an active life that I had no need to

exercise on purpose. But in this day and age, I'm not walking to the well and

pumping water, or washing laundry in the river, or whatever. And I'm a teacher,

which is more active than some jobs, but it's not cardio. So the reality is, I

just need to make it a habit to go to the gym. Or go for a walk or a run. Or

do a workout video or whatever. Just do something almost every day, until it's

completely ingrained. It's not a big emotional thing, it's not a big struggle,

it's just a daily thing to take care of myself.

At least, that's what I'm aiming for.

[Guest guest]

I had to give up all forms of exercise near the beginning of IE because it was so strongly associated with trying to get thin/dieting that it was a very negative thing. Fortunately, I broke that association and now enjoy many types of activity.

First I decided to conquer walking. I have a muscular imbalance in my legs that makes walking very painful, and the only cure is...to walk. So for the last six months or so I have, most weeks, walked a few times a week, and it's getting easier--slowly, but I can see the change. First I kept a log of it on my blog but eventually found the logging was not an encouragement, that I simply like the way I feel after I walk. That was a huge shift in my feelings towards activity.

About two months ago I decided that I want to have more fun moving my body. So last night I joined my son's karate class (and yes...I am feeling it this morning, but not as badly as I thought I would be! LOL) and I also have been trying hula dancing and a little belly dancing and I am looking for a place to swim (since I found a swimsuit that I feel has enough of both cute and coverage, and that FITS, at Junonia) as I love swimming but haven't done any in recent years.

So, I think you are correct--it's something we need to incorporate into our daily lives, and as we do that, I think we will WANT it more, but for me at least, it needs to not be a 'chore' or something that I have to make myself do (although there are days when I have to say, , you are cranky and sore from sitting at a desk and I know you don't FEEL like going for a walk but you will be happy that you did! LOL)

www.jenny-fair.blogspot.com

[Guest guest]

Dawn,In a weird way, I guess I'm lucky that exercise never made me lose weight... though it certainly didnt feel that way for a long time! because I don't have any association between the two.

I have basically never stopped exercising since i started in college. and if i go too long without a workout, i start to feel lazy and awful and i wake up early and i feel cagey and restless and cranky. and i certainly don't WANT to work out at that point... but i know there is no relief in sight without a workout. and then when i work out, i feel revitalized and wonderful and on top of the world.

i dont think this happens right away, and certainly not with every single workout... but i do get that endorphin rush almost evert time... if you stick with it, and especially if you raise your heartrate, i think you will find in time that working out makes you feel really great. and you might even get hooked.

i think when we are able to do things because they make us feel good and not because we are " supposed " to it's a lot easier to stick with them... so hang in there... i think you are due for a delicious reward in the form of feeling fantastic... and then at some point you will find that you dont feel well at all if you skip your workout... and then you are hooked. which can be inconvenient at times, but is mostly a good thing.

good luck!abby

 

I had to give up all forms of exercise near the beginning of IE because it was so strongly associated with trying to get thin/dieting that it was a very negative thing.  Fortunately, I broke that association and now enjoy many types of activity.

First I decided to conquer walking.  I have a muscular imbalance in my legs that makes walking very painful, and the only cure is...to walk.  So for the last six months or so I have, most weeks, walked a few times a week, and it's getting easier--slowly, but I can see the change.  First I kept a log of it on my blog but eventually found the logging was not an encouragement, that I simply like the way I feel after I walk.  That was a huge shift in my feelings towards activity.

About two months ago I decided that I want to have more fun moving my body.  So last night I joined my son's karate class (and yes...I am feeling it this morning, but not as badly as I thought I would be! LOL) and I also have been trying hula dancing and a little belly dancing and I am looking for a place to swim (since I found a swimsuit that I feel has enough of both cute and coverage, and that FITS, at Junonia) as I love swimming but haven't done any in recent years. 

So, I think you are correct--it's something we need to incorporate into our daily lives, and as we do that, I think we will WANT it more, but for me at least, it needs to not be a 'chore' or something that I have to make myself do (although there are days when I have to say, , you are cranky and sore from sitting at a desk and I know  you don't FEEL like going for a walk but you will be happy that you did! LOL)

www.jenny-fair.blogspot.com

[Guest guest]

Dawn et al.: I believe the keys to exercise, eating and even weight loss are

MODERATION and GRACE. As Abby said, 'exercise' makes our bodies feel good.

However, some people resist 'exercise' because they previously forced themselves

to exercise or used extreme forms of exercise or even exercised too often and/or

injured themselves with extreme exercise schedules. However, exercise is just a

way to move our bodies, which need movement as well as rest. The fact that some

people exercise in extreme ways doesn't mean 'exercise' per se is extreme. Just

as we can avoid extreme eating habits like bingeing or starving, we can find

moderate, enjoyable ways to move our bodies each day.

However, just as we need to treat ourselves graciously as we try to change

eating habits, we need to treat ourselves graciously on those days when we

resist our usual forms of exercise. Perhaps we don't feel well and need to take

a break from exercise while we recover from a cold, flu, etc. When the weather

is too extreme for exercising outside, we can consider other ways to move our

bodies without getting too hot, cold or wet, like walking in a mall, yoga,

dancing, playing ping pong or just doing household activities like vacuuming or

rearranging furniture.

I used to run daily, because I wanted the most exercise in the least time, when

I ran my own business. After I retired from that business, I noticed more and

more leg/hip pains when I ran. So I started walking. Eventually I prevented the

pain by wearing custom made orthotics in my shoes. However, I never resumed

running, because I enjoy feeding wild birds and squirrels as I walk around our

local lake.

Rather than take my car for short errands, I walk to shopping malls, grocery

stores, doctor appointments, libraries and, of course, to have quiet time to

think and process my feelings. I also do some daily yoga and strengthening

exercises to cope with gastrointestinal pain from food allergy reactions and

intestinal infections, rather than using drugs to reduce that pain. Above all,

I sleep better and just feel better when I move my body daily.

SUE

>

> My sister and I have had a few conversations the past few weeks about making

exercise a habit. The diet mentality can go with exercise as well, like when I

reach a certain weight, I will be finished. But the truth is, I should never be

" finished " exercising! It is a healthy habit, and it's important for a

lifetime, not just until a certain weight. My sister is one of those rare

people who is still a true intuitive eater in adulthood, and she is at a healthy

weight, but she struggles with making exercise a habit just like I do.

>

> We've decided to think of exercise like brushing our teeth. There are days

I'd rather not brush my teeth (I'm tired, I don't want to spend the two minutes,

I just want to go to bed.) But I would NEVER not brush my teeth. That thought

would never be bigger than the compulsion of habit.

>

> Conversely, there are days it feels great to brush my teeth. When I crave the

nice clean feeling. Or when I have a cold, and it feels like a massage to the

sinuses. But I would never expect it to feel that wonderful each time.

>

> Theoretically, I would love to have such an active life that I had no need to

exercise on purpose. But in this day and age, I'm not walking to the well and

pumping water, or washing laundry in the river, or whatever. And I'm a teacher,

which is more active than some jobs, but it's not cardio. So the reality is, I

just need to make it a habit to go to the gym. Or go for a walk or a run. Or

do a workout video or whatever. Just do something almost every day, until it's

completely ingrained. It's not a big emotional thing, it's not a big struggle,

it's just a daily thing to take care of myself.

>

> At least, that's what I'm aiming for.

>