finding the right speed

I have discovered WHY I want to exercise.

I have brainstormed WHAT to do for exercise.

Answering those foundation questions of why and what are extremely important to making exercise a healthy lifestyle habit, now HOW do I actually get out there and just do it? 

Here are a few things I am going to do.

I word it this way because I have recently been convicted of sounding like some know-it-all in my writing style, when in fact I know very little about health which is why I have dedicated this 2014 year to learn.  I am sorry if it has sounded that way.  If anything, I know a lot of things not to do.  Now that I have started learning, I find myself more aware than ever before of how truly little I know.

1. accept where I am and make a commitment to start there

It would be awesome if I could start my workout plan being in great shape, but that is never how it works.  And yes I did work out at the gym for a few months, but I would say that was to help postpartum body recovery and now I am finally starting at ground 0.  So I am out of shape, and that is ok.  I will start there.

2. make a SMART goal

SMART stands for Specific-Measureable-Attainable-Realistic-Timely.  Each element is important in having a goal that will produce fruit.  While my desire to walk 3 times a week is a good one, I need a little something more to motivate me in this new habit.   If the weather has been bad or the evening has gotten away from me, it has been easy to skip a walk because there has been really nothing to lose.   While my goal was specific and measurable, it was not attainable because it is ambiguous.  Walk for 30 minute 3x a week for how long?  Until when?  Forever?

3. create or find a plan

There is no need to reinvent the wheel here.  Through Google, Pinterest, Facebook, and dozens of other websites, I am sure I have never even heard of, there are oodles of pre-made exercise plans that are manageable and easy to follow. And now with smart phones it can even be easier because just in my basic search I found multiple apps that will guide you through any form of an exercise program step by step.

I like plans because that is how I am wired, and a plan does not allow for the excuse, "I don't know what to do."  Plans also provide an end mark which is important when just starting to create a new habit.  I am much less likely to give up if I know when this plan will end, and hopefully by the time I have reached the end of that specific plan I enjoy the fruit of exercise so much that I will find another way to continue.

4. protect myself with accountability

There will be times when I am tempted to throw in the towel, and for those moments, it is essntial to have accountabilty in place.   During my months at the gym, having paid for a membership was awesome accountability and motivation.  For this walking/jogging goal, my husband will be my main source of accountability, but I will also ask a few friends to check in on my progress and join me in my plan.

5. day by day

Once all of these are in place, the only way to create a new habit and make something happen is to put one foot in front of the other and take it one day at a time.

In light of these steps, I made a plan to walk, jog, and/or run a 5k at the end of the school year.  To avoid registration costs and the masses, I found a neat app, picked a date and local route, texted some friends and family inviting others to join me, and am going to do it.

A few reminders for myself.  These are the kinds of things I post on the bathroom mirror.

Be gracious with myself.  My dear mentor taught me to say "most of the time."  I follow my work out plan "most of the time."  This is important because it allows me to be human, to be tired, to have had a long day, to have unexpected situations come up, to skip a work-out, and to still get up and continue the next day without feeling like I have ruined the entire plan.  Because I am somewhat intense, I am naturally an "all or nothing" kind of girl."  I am learning to give myself grace.

Set a good pace.  The R in SMART goals stands for realistic, and I remind myself that I have to start with something that is possible and maybe even a little too easy at the beginning.  This plan I found is called "couch potato to 5k."  Am I a couch potato?  No.  But I wanted to start at a point in which I would be successful so that I would not give up on day 2 of my new plan because it was just too much.  In hopes of setting a good pace for myself, I chose a plan in which I could be successful in order to help me create this habit.

Pacing just might by the key to implementing exercise into my life in a way that can actually work and actually produce the kind of fruit I am looking for.  Pacing is a skill of health and something I am learning about not just in exercise, but also in life.  

I am looking for the right speed of life.  

While working full-time, editing a book, posting on this blog, exercising consistently, keeping up with housework, and attempting to enjoy the few and precious moments I have with Eden and my husband, finding the right speed has been a challenge and is something I am very much at the beginning of learning about.  It is awesome to have all of these healthy habits, but not if there is no time to enjoy the fruit.

In my pursuit of health, I am searching for the unforced rhythms of a balanced life as I prioritize, make choices about what is worth my time and energy, and enjoy my family during every free moment I can find!

not a priority

Now that I have been exercising for the last 3-4 months somewhat consistently, I ask myself why I stopped for the past 5 years?  The fruit is worth the time and energy I have given to this healthy habit. 

While I am tempted to say "I didn't have time," the more I think about it I realize that it is more accurate to say "it was not a priority."  Saying "I don't have time" is nothing more than an excuse which makes it sound like I am a victim of my own schedule, when really I am in charge of those daily lifestyle desicions.  It is both freeing and simplifying to accurately articulate such a decision.

It is the same with finances; rather than saying, "We cannot afford to..." I am going to start saying, "It is not a financial priority for us to..."

It just feels more honest. 

So much of living a healthy life is learning how to budget money and time and it all comes down to priorities. 

Having clarified that, this leads to my most recent exercise question: now that I have made the decision that I would like to make exercise a part of my lifestyle, what specific form of exercise fits into my current priorities?

The world of exercise is overwhelming in that there are so many options it can feel paralyzing to know where to begin.

Just to name a few options:

http://www.pinterest.com/pin/424323596111976818/

So I asked myself 3 questions:
What are my goals?  movement
How much time can I give each week?  30 minutes x 4 days/week
Who, if anyone, will join me?  hubs and baby

For me right now, a 30 minute walk is perfect.  It allows for time with my family, time to be outside in the redeeming spring, time to unwind after a long day, and time to move.

While I am not suggesting every person has the time to pursue a rigid exercise plan, I will suggest that every person could fit some type of movement into their lifestyle if they chose to make it a priority and that the fruit would be worth the sacrifice.

In light of priorities, here is Eden at the bank opening her first savings account.  

This is a big financial priority for us.  Because we want to say yes to saving for her future, 

we are willing to say no to other daily conveniences. 

beyond the physical

To quickly summarize my history with exercise, I compulsively worked out at a gym for most of my adolescence, took a 5 year break since teaching, gained 60 pounds during my recent pregnancy in which I rarely moved, and am now back.  I want to learn again, reset my mind, and figure out how I want to model this healthy habit for my daughter.

Historically, the only reason I exercised was for the "look" as I was chasing the superficial trap of image.  Once I got my head on straight, this pursuit of image is actually the same reason I ran away from exercise because I found that investing as much time as I did into something so superficial was completely and utterly fruitless.  So I walked away.

Until now.

And as I have returned to this idea of exercise I come with questions, the first being why?

Why exercise?  What are the benefits?  What is the fruit?

From the few things I have learned and experienced already this month, I have been truly amazed.

Physically, I look and feel better when I exercise.  My body is able to function according to how it was designed.  I have increased metabolism and more energy.  There is healthy movement in my body in everything from blood circulation to muscle growth.  I am able to maintain a healthy weight.  My muscles get bigger and stronger, and not just like my arm muscles looking more "toned," but muscles like the heart also get stronger.  My immune system is strengthened through exercise.  Overall, this healthy habit prevents diseases, strokes, certain cancers, osteoporosis, and heart problems.

As if that would not be reason enough for me to move and take care of the one body I have been given;  I could stop there and that would be enough for me.  However, there are more benefits beyond just the physical.

Mentally and emotionally, exercise is the most effective way to deal with stress, anxiety, and depression.  When stress builds up, exercise is the best way to release all of that tension in the body.  Because of the release of endorphins, 30 minutes of exercise works in a similar way as taking an antidepressant.  While I am not suggesting that this should replace medicine when it is needed, movement is an excellent way to pursue mental and emotional health.

Relationally, exercise also presents opportunities to spend time others.  Whether it is cherished times of creating memories with loved ones, active get togethers with family and friends, or the opportunity to meet new people, a lifestyle of exercise can enhance the experience of spending time with people.  Walking, biking, running, team sports, exercise classes, and lifting weights, just to name a few examples, are much more enjoyable and easier with the accountability and presence of a friend.  I have met some incredible people throughout the years of playing team sports, had some of my most deep and intimate conversations with friends while on walks around the neighborhood, and created some of my most fun memories with my family while hiking or biking outside.  Moving together creates precious opportunities for conversation, teamwork, and bonding.

Spiritually, as I ask the question why, it became clear that the greatest why is found in 2 Corinthians 6:19-20 which says, "Don't you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God?  You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price.  Therefore honor God with your body."

My body is a gift, given to me by God, that was created to move.  This verse reveals that caring for this body is a command and that God is glorified in my obedience.  As I pursue health this year, I am motivated now more than ever before to care for my body through exercise as a thank you to my Maker.

did Jesus exercise?

As I look in the bible for examples of exercise as I have understood it, at first glance I can't find anything.  No gyms or weight rooms mentioned in any of the Old or New Testament stories.

Then I decided to look it up in the dictionary.  Dictionary.com defines exercise as bodily or mental exertion.  Hm.  So after thinking about this definition I have decided to refer to exercise as movement to support my shift in thinking.  I am retraining my mind to understand that exercise does not have to be a sweaty 60 minute work-out at a gym.

After shifting gears and searching deeper, I sought God's Word again looking for movement and this time quickly found that these individuals moved their bodies all the time.

It was their lifestyle. 

At first I had written "it was a part of their lifestyle" but then I reworded that because it was not just a part, it was their lifestyle.  Everything they did required physical activity: from gathering and preparing food to fetching water to making and cleaning clothing to transportation.  Noah must have been in incredible shape considering he built an entire ark with his own two hands.  Jesus often traveled from His home in Galilee to Jerusalem which I learned is a distance of over 100 miles.  I will repeat that he walked this route OFTEN.  These biblical heroes walked, built, carried, and exerted physical strength in almost every single task. 

While the advancements of technology have made a way for us to maximize our time, we also rarely need to exert much physical strength on a daily basis which is unnatural for our bodies that were designed to move throughout the day.  While I am thankful for technology, through this study of exercise I can see that it is a disservice to our physical bodies which requires that we are extra intentional to move.

The more we can revive a physically active lifestyle, the healthier we will be.

And in light of shifting my perspective on this concept of exercise, I wonder if I can't implement it into my daily activities.  Rather than breaking a sweat at the gym or following a diligent work-out routine, I am going to look for ways to move throughout my day and create this healthy habit of moving as a lifestyle.

Here are some ideas I am going to try:
1. Walk or bike when possible to nearby places- church, grocery store, post office, friend's homes
2. When driving- choose a parking spot far from the entrance and walk into the location
3. Put things away after their use- after using a toy or dish, rather than waiting until the end of the day to do everything at and move as little as possible like I often do, return it to its home right away to keep my body moving
4. When bringing groceries into the house- bring in one bag at a time.  I literally try to grab every single bag on one arm, almost ripping my shoulder socket out of joint, just to save a trip.
5. While watching TV, stretch or sit on the floor and find ways to work my core or legs and keep my body moving
6. Take out the garbage right away, rather than leaving it sit by the door until the next time I plan on going out
7. Stand and walk around with putting Eden to sleep rather than using a rocking chair
8. When the laundry buzzes, get up and fold the clothes rather than staying on the couch and saving it for later
9. Take the stairs rather than using escalators or elevators 

10. Wear Eden rather than using a stroller for the extra strength training opportunity 

While I am tempted to assume some of these little things are not worth it, they add up when consistently implemented into a lifestyle.  This is the same thinking that allowed my husband and I to climb our way out of $64,000 of debt in a few years on a limited income, because rather than saying, "it's only twenty bucks" or "it's only one dollar more" or even "it's only 50 cents," we tightened in every possible expense.  After a few years of living that way ended up with incredible fruit to show for it.

I can do the same thing with movement by finding simple and small ways to move my body throughout the day to create an active lifestyle and therefore a healthy body.

 I will ask God for help as I continue to look ways to live a healthy life.

April: Exercise

With my recently increased energy, I am excited to write about this month's life changing habit: exercise.

This is potentially one of the biggest shifts in thinking I will have made thus far.  Ok, learning to value my body and care for it was a big one as for years I loathed and destroyed this body.  The constant reminder to ask God for help in the pursuit of health is up there in the life-changing category as well.
But this exersice issue has haunted me for years. 

With my historically dysfunctional relationship with health and image, overexersice was a major problem.   Beyond the physical side-effects, I can look back and say that I damaged my mind even more. I would go on the same elliptical machine at the same gym at the same time for 60 minutes every day, watch the same TV shows, and mentally drift off into madness. I overworked my body and numbed my mind in the process, which left me with a bad taste in my mouth every time I heard the word.

Until now. 

Because now I am making a choice to let go of the past, change my thinking, rediscover the value of this habit, and pursue the fruit of moving my body in a new and healthy way.

Habit: Find ways to naturally implement exersice into my lifestyle and redefine "exercise" in a perspective that will allow me to enjoy physical activity.

I will redefine exersice by changing the what and why.

What?  I used to have the mindset that the only way I could consider my activity "exersice" would be if I went to the gym, devoted more than 45 minutes to the event, and broke a sweat. In my pursuit of fruit this year, I am learinng that there are endless ways to gain the benefit of moving our bodies and therefore, once I disemble my rules, this habit not as hard to implement into a busy lifestly as I would have thought.

Why?  While I used to exersice for the sole purpose of looking "better," I have taken some time to study and find that image is the most surfacy benefit of this habit. Exercise benefits our bodies in countless ways beyond image and I am excited to learn and then share some of the many benefits in upcoming posts this month.

Challenge: 30X4 = 30 minutes a day --  4 days a week

Free and Easy Options:
1. daily walk outside- every day that the weather allows us to bring Eden out, we will be walking
2. exercise videos- when rain, or dare I even say snow, keeps us in, I have multiple exercise videos I can choose from to keep my body moving to access all of the holistic health benefits
3. stretching and strength training- this is such an easy thing to do on the ground at home with so many guides on-line to keep me on task and working a variety of muscles

I can't wait to get started and continue to enjoy the fruit of this healthy habit.