Sports are a large focus in my life, and even though I have a lot going on seeing as I am finishing my senior year of high school, I always try to find or make time to exercise, one way or another. On days like today (rainy, cold, windy, gloomy), I shy away from the idea of going for a run outside. Today I will make time to go to our local gym to work out, and take advantage of all the toys they have in there, to strengthen my body.
I play sports with the school: soccer in the fall, basketball in the winter, and track & field in the spring. The basketball season just ended, leaving me with 3 weeks before track starts up. This means that I have more time to sleep, more time to do my homework,... more time in general, often leaving me trying to figure out what to do. I am one of those people who eats when they are bored, so now I am attempting to fill up my day a little better, hopefully with exercise. Also, I am trying to get my mom, my dad, and my sister out of the house to get some fresh air and to get their blood rushing! Sometimes I end up dragging them out to go for a hike with a picnic (which they end up enjoying very much), or I encourage my mom to walk or bike to work (only half a mile away).
It is extremely important, both for our mental and physical health, to get our bodies moving! As I tell my friends and all the time: "If you are uncomfortable with your body- if you want to lose weight, of just lose that loose belly- don't change the amount of food you eat. You need to make sure you are fueling your body with nutritious and healthy food, AND EXERCISE!!!!"
Maybe you like to take your dog for a daily walk. Try to make your walk a little longer, and maybe pick up the pace a little bit. It is amazing what power walking does for you! Or, maybe you like fishing. Take a canoe instead of a motor boat onto the lake and do some god powerful strokes to get to where you want to fish. It is all about changing the little things. No, you won't see the results and changes overnight, or after on week, but over time you will start to notice your endurance increasing and maybe the tone of your muscles returning; and most important of all, you will feel healthier and stronger!
Keep up the good work!
~Iolani
p.s. please give me some feedback and/or ask questions.
I agree that changing little things is the way to go. So often people make New Year's resolutions, to go on a diet, to lose 20 lbs etc, and they fail because they try to change too much too fast. I know that it works for me, when I need to change a habit, to do it one step at a time. To eliminate one unhealthy food product at a time, or to just add 5 minutes of yoga to my day instead of 5 yoga classes per week. Great insights here. I am glad you got to the gym yesterday. I ended up doing a very muddy run on back roads, slippery and fun, but feeling it today!
ReplyDeleteQuestions: Can you give more suggestions for small changes one could make? You had great ideas, such as canoeing instead of motorized boat.I know for me, on the days I don't run I have a bad attitude problem. Can you fill us in on the "feel good" effects of exercising? How about exercising for the busy person?
Love the design of your blog.
Laura