Some people are born exercisers. Exercise isn't something they have to think about or plan for; exercise in one form or another is just a normal part of the routine. After all, what would these people do with all of their extra energy and athletic talent if they weren't running at 5 a.m. or playing racquetball at lunch or heading to the gym after work. It's easy for them, these high-octane freaks, a no-brainer. They'd run in circles before they would think of sitting down. And then...well, then there are the rest of us. We have to be dragged off of the sofa, whining and kicking and clawing at the armrests.
We're too tired...need to run a few errands...have a pain in our little toe...or some other excuse. Trust me, when it comes to exercise, excuses abound. I know this to be a fact because I have used most of them at one time or another. I never did have a natural affinity for exercise, even as a child. My girlhood hobbies were things like reading and drawing. When my eyes or hands got too tired, well, then I could always take a nap.
As an adult, the idea of exercise was no more palatable. Periodically, I would try joining a gym, choosing the shortest membership term available and then never sticking with it long enough to get my money's worth. But I knew, as most of us know, that regular exercise would do me good. In fact, with a family health history that seemed out to get me, I knew that exercise would become a necessity.
When I was in my mid-twenties and working in New York City, I tried again. I hated my job, spent almost two hours commuting (sitting on trains for most of it) to this 9 - 5 torture chamber across the river. I was tired and out of shape and feeling miserable. So I took the Hoboken train one day, instead of the Journal Square train heading for home, and stopped by the Hoboken Health Club. It was the closest gym to where I was living and it was also close to the train station. That was good...after all, I didn't want to strain myself just getting there.
I took the tour, asked about prices and, after being quoted a price for a one-year membership, inquired as to whether or not they might have a shorter term available -- something more like three months maybe? My tour guide paused and turned slowly to look at me. Then she said something that has had a lasting impact, "So, you've already decided that you're not going to stick with it. You want to get in shape? Take the one-year membership and make the commitment to stick with it. Pack your exercise clothes in the morning, take them with you and after work -- don't even think about it -- just get on that Hoboken train and come right here." I was only mildly offended. As I stood there trying to think up an excuse for not signing up for a full year, I got more and more uncomfortable and just said "Oh, okay."
That was about twenty years ago and I have been exercising regularly ever since. I credit that woman with giving me some of the best advice I have ever gotten. The most important part was "Don't even think about it." The thinking about whether you have the time, whether you feel like it today, whether there isn't something more pressing that needs doing...this is the window of opportunity for those favorite old excuses to come barging in. Have I found a way to love exercise? Not really, but I have made my peace with it and in turn, it has provided me with some surprising benefits.
Although I still have to force myself to do it, I find that exercise makes me feel so much better when I am done. I am more energetic for at least a few hours afterward, I feel more calm and less stressed, my stamina and strength have improved, and my heart and lungs are healthier. Exercise is important for so many reasons, both emotional and physical, that I have stuck with it for about twenty years now. Over time, my routine has changed. I've substituted step and floor aerobics for the treadmill and dumbbells at home for weights at the gym. Yoga is included now and again as well (see my earlier post on yoga). But what has remained constant is my commitment to exercise in some form or another despite the many other things I have to do and the people clamoring for my attention. Why is that? It's because I have made it a priority. It hasn't always made me popular, carving this chunk of time out of each day, but it is worth it in the end.
Each one of us can find some way of fitting some kind of exercise into our days more often than not. There is no magic here. Do you think that exercise might help you relieve some stress? Do you wish you were in better shape? Are you worried about heart disease, diabetes, arthritis? Do you simply refuse to go up one more pant-size? If you answered yes to any of these, the time for incorporating exercise in your life may be now. And there are a myriad of ways to do it. Here's how to get started:
- Decide that you are going to exercise and commit yourself to it. Exercise must be a priority or you will never stick with it.
- Choose the time of day that will best work for you. Can you work out in the company gym at lunch time? Can you get up 45 minutes earlier and jog or do an exercise tape? Can you play volleyball in the community league two days a week in the evening? Choose an activity that you might have a chance of finding enjoyable and a time of day and week that works for your schedule. Then schedule it in, without fail, unless you are seriously ill or someone dies.
- Vary your workouts. Variety is the spice of life. Interspersing weight workouts with aerobic activities and perhaps yoga, pilates or a stretching routine will keep you from getting too bored and will produce better results as well.
- Once you have your plan in place, DON'T THINK ABOUT IT!! I cannot emphasize this enough. If you think about it you are doomed. This is one area of your life where not using your head can be an advantage. To use an already overused phrase; just do it!
Once you start a routine, stay with it for a while to give it a chance and then change it if you need or want to. You might find that you are simply too uncoordinated for aerobics classes, but that kick-boxing tapes work for you. You might need to have a walking or jogging buddy or to engage in group sports activities to keep you motivated. Whoever you are and whatever you're like, there is a type of exercise and a schedule to suit you.
Not sure what you're going to like? Here are some ideas to get you started. Make a visit to your local gym. Take a tour, peek in on some classes. See if any of it appeals to you. Like sports better? Call your municipal or township building, public schools or community colleges. They often have community activities (swim times, adult education classes, community softball, volleyball, basketball and other leagues). Rather workout alone, in private, at your own pace? There are huge numbers of exercise videos on the market; everything from walking tapes to yoga, weight training, step aerobics...you get the idea. One of the best places I have found to look for exercise videos is www.collagevideo.com .
If you haven't exercised for years, start off easy with Leslie Sansone's walking tapes. If you're ready to try aerobics, Fat Burning For Dummies with Gay Gasper is the best introductory tape out there. Gay is a fantastic instructor and makes learning the steps easy for even the klutziest of us. Collage Video has a large collection of videos and dvd's that you can preview on-line and wonderful customer service. There are also some short e-books if you would rather read up on easy-to-do exercise ideas for home or office. For easy to do, seated exercises check out Get Fit While You Sit. For weights at home try Weights For Absolute Beginners. For information on getting the most from your workouts using interval training, you might want to look at The Great Cardio Myth. Whatever you choose to do, make a commitment to sticking with it.
Looking for more information on exercise? Check out the mind and body fitness carnival at www.fitbuff.com/total-mind-and-body-fitness-blog-carnival-38/ for helpful articles by this author and many others.
Do you have any questions, ideas, suggestions or inspiring words to offer? Please post a comment and share your thoughts with us. Thanks!
) article called "Jogging Your Memory" (March 2008), Dr. Stern attributes the benefits of aerobic exercise to a brain chemical called "Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor" (BDNF) that helps with learning. It seems that physical exercise, aerobic exercise in particular, produces significant amounts of this chemical. Aging affects the frontal lobes of the brain, the area that helps us to multi-task. Over time, fewer and fewer brain cells are produced in this area to replace the ones that are dying off. This leads to cognitive decline. BDNF, which is produced when we engage in aerobic exercise, supports the survival of the cells in our frontal lobes and that helps us to multi-task and think more clearly. The end result? More confirmation that exercise, specifically aerobic exercise, may be one of the best ways to significantly slow down the mental decline that comes with age. 
