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.

blessing, not burden

I will first apologize for not staying true to my word.

I initially said I would write about simple, practical health tips that were light and easy to read and I look back on these past few months and realize that I always seem to find a way to take a simple thought onto many lengthy tangents.

I did, however, keep my word with my physical challenge this month as I sought to increase my energy by eating my largest meal in the morning and eating throughout the day and I will share that the results are awesome!

I start my day with an incredible protein shake which is packed with amazing nutrients and 23 grams of protein, add a scoop of greens for the day, and eat a protein bar a few hours later.  By 9:00 AM I have already had 40 grams of protein and my daily servings of greens and feel incredible!  I then continue eating snacks throughout the school day.  Yogurt, string cheese, quinoa salads, fruits, crackers, and veggies every couple of hours seem to keep me going during the business of life with six year olds.  I then enjoy a nice big early supper while saving just enough space to have a evening snack.  I really do have more energy and enjoy this lifestyle of eating.  I was rarely hungry all month because as soon as I would feel the first inkling of hunger I would find a snack to keep that metabolism turning my fuel into energy.

There.  Something practical.

Now onto the fun stuff, for me anyways.  My latest thought tied to increasing energy is to shift my thinking about the daily tasks in my life.  So much of life is mundane, and I often get stuck in a rut of doing the same things again and again and again, either by choice or demand, and eventually shifting into "autopilot," which is a gear that has the potential to drain the energy right out of me.  

I will admit that even something as precious as rocking my daughter to sleep each night can become a "burden" in my mind when I allow myself to get mentally taken away by the endless demands of dishes and laundry and meals and work and emails and relationships and marriage.  So the other night when I was rocking Eden to sleep and she was staring at me, wide awake way past her bedtime, I was getting a little frustrated and feeling overwhelmed at the thought of needing to do this for 20-30 minutes before she would release the struggle to stay awake and surrender to the peaceful sleep she so desperately needed.

And in that moment of frustration, I heard the whisper of the Spirit say, "this is a blessing, not a burden."  And within seconds I got a flash of what an incredible gift my precious daughter is and a reminder of what an absolute joy it is to get to have that intimate time of holding her and enjoying her while she is still so small.  My mind flashed forward to her as an elementary school child climbing on the bus, a teenager hopping in her car and driving off, and even an adult on her wedding day.  And I just stared at her precious little body and enjoyed every second of my time rocking her to sleep, acknowledging that her life is a gift and this season of baby needs is such a fleeting joy.  I shifted my thinking to the truth that I am completely blessed to be her mom, and not at all burdened by the daily and seemingly constant needs.

And instantly I was energized to rock her for hours, if needed, all through the power of my thoughts.  It is so easy to drain ourselves and decrease our energy by our negative attitudes about the tasks we are required to perform each day.  While I doubt many things are as precious as rocking a baby to sleep, whether or not we enjoy the necessary tasks in our lives, many of them have to be performed regardless of our emotions and why not choose to enjoy life?   We hold the key to the quality of our lives through our perspective.  The truth is that we are blessed, and this truth will set us free. 

I can apply this same principle to other areas of my life.
While at times I struggle with the "burden" of some of these tasks, the reality is that... 

I am blessed to have a job to attend where I have purpose, friends, and a paycheck  

I am blessed to enjoy the gift of intimacy with my husband 

I am blessed to have two mouths to feed

I am blessed to have a healthy body to care for and the health to exercise
I am blessed to have clothes to fold and beds to make and dishes to clean 

Even those things in our lives that are truly awful and nothing about them is a visible blessing, even those we can view through the lens of good training ground.  Romans 8:28 teaches that God uses all things for our good and those hard challenges often produce the most fruit in our lives.  We can access the power of the Holy Spirit to edify ourselves as a way of producing the energy we need to walk through all circumstances. 

Increase your energy in practical ways by starting your day with a hearty breakfast and eating throughout the day, but also by shifting your mind as you complete your daily tasks.  Don't forget to value yourself and your body and ask God for help along the way.

I am so thankful to have increased energy to enjoy every moment with this little peanut!

our financial story

Because we have been so blessed by Dave Ramsey and are passionate about inspiring others to live debt free lives, we shared our story on his website!   After much interest in our story, I find it appropriate to share on this blog as well as it totally aligns with the pursuit of fruit and specifically pursuit of health!

Before the details, we MUST give credit where credit is due!

We credit our ability to get out of debt to:
1. The incredible teaching and applicable principles of Dave Ramsey
2. The generous support of family and friends in prayers, meals, gifts, and checks
3. The grace and provision of God as well as the anointing of the Holy Spirit to make choices

Because our story is unique, it may shed light on my previous post in which I shared that we were willing to press past the pain in disciplining ourselves to reach our goal of living a debt free life!  Hebrews 11:12 says, "No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful.  However, later on it will produce a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it."

It is only by the power of the Holy Spirit that we are able to stand and declare that our debts have been paid in full.  We are so thankful for this anointing and the gift of choice.  

we did it, twice!

Because our story is a bit complex, with enough details to fill an entire book, I will do my best to summarize as briefly as possible.  I am actually editing a book right now that I wrote about this story with the major theme of CHOICE interwoven throughout each chapter.  More than anything, throughout our financial experience, we have learned of this priceless gift of choice as we have been empowered through the teaching of Dave Ramsey to choose to take control of our finances and lives, and to continue to make daily choices toward financial peace even in unexpected and painful circumstances. 

The most basic summary of our story is that we climbed out of debt twice.  We first beat $32,000 of student loan debt after following Dave Ramsey’s teaching through FPU on two teacher incomes in just under a year!  We were ecstatic and I immediately started writing our story on this exact same website, when literally one week later my husband made a mistake that led to the loss of his job and career, along with $32,000 of new debt. 

We moved out of our apartment and in with my husband's parents for 9 months.  We tightened up every possible expense and pressed into the pain of loss as we adjusted our financial plans and dreams to our new reality.  We grieved what could have been and then made a life-changing choice to try again.  

After 2.5 years of painful choices, we are excited to report that we are now, officially, debt free!  We did it, twice.  By the power of the Holy Spirit we were able to stand up again after falling down and recreate our gazelle like intensity in building another debt snowball to motivate ourselves to beat a second round of debt.

These principles and baby steps WORK, and we should know because for us they have worked twice!  In all, we paid off $64,000 in 3.5 years on an extremely inconsistent income as, for almost 18 months, my husband was unemployed.  God miraculously provided an incredible new career opportunity for him and he is now in an apprenticeship to become an electrician.  We are thrilled to finally move onto the baby step 3 and excited to have new financial plans and dreams!  

To God be the glory!