Friday, October 22, 2010

Exercise






Here's my problem. 

Ok, here's ONE of my problems. 

I view exercise as getting a gym bag, going to the gym and working out, doing weights and getting all sweaty for an hour.  That's just not going to happen anytime soon.

I've been receiving many comments about just getting moving for 5 minutes or doing SOMETHING extra each day. That got me thinking.



What I need to realize is:
That a simple walk IS exercise.
Dancing with my kids IS exercise.
Playing frisbee outside IS exercise.
The 5 - 10 minutes of lifting weights while watching tv IS exercise.

It doesn't feel like it though. 

I honestly don't know if I can go to a gym.  There are some inexpensive ones now that are close.  But I honestly DON'T have time.  I make a lot of excuses (boy do I ever) but this one isn't an excuse.  To make a long story short, I can't drive, my husband works retail and had very odd hours and different hours each week and I am stuck home doing daycare all day so there honestly isn't a regular time I could go. 

So the gym is out. 

But I am realizing that there ARE things around the house that I CAN be doing more of.  I have this treadmill in my living room.  Yes, right in my living room. (I dust it often). 

I have been afraid of it though.  First, I hate to exercise in front of people (did I mention it's in my living room?).  That is something I just need to get over.  Stupid excuse, it's not helping anyone.  Second, I have an ankle issue and I don't know what my capabilities for long term walking. 

(notice I said I DON'T KNOW what my capabilities are?)

Well, it's time I found out. 

My last treadmill experience was bad for the ankle and leg. Very bad so it scared me away. I also pushed it too fast, way too fast.  I will never be a runner, nor a fast walker but I CAN walk.  I walk every day. I just need to do it more. 

I know that if I get on that treadmill everyday, even if it's for a pathetically small amount of time, it will help.  Maybe I won't be burning 1000's of calories but mentally, it will be much harder to get on the treadmill and then go eat 3 handfuls of chocolate chips. Mentally, it will be better for me. 

Not to mention I am horribly out of shape and just need to get something regular going on here!  The stupid thing, I've been thinking this for MONTHS yet, I keep saying "later" or "tomorrow". 

Well, tomorrow has come, uh, not actually.  I am off to bed so my goal is to get on there tomorrow.

Thank you to all of you commenting and pushing me.  I need blunt comments.  I think it was Dr. Fat to Fit who recently told me that she saw 20 weeks of weight tracking from me with no loss and it mad her sad and mad. She is SO right.  It is sad and it makes me mad! 

I will post in the next couple of days and hopefully I'll have some treadmill miles in by then!  :-)

Also, check out my giveaway on my other blog!

This is linked with Works For Me Wednesday at We Are THAT Family!

13 comments:

  1. Have you ever considered getting a Wii Fit, believe it or not, it does count as exercise too! It has lots of options to choose from, most of which are low-impact. I have two bad feet (one worse than the other) and one bad ankle... but doing Wii Fit has strengthened my ankle and weight loss is helping my feet some. Plus, it burns a lot more calories than sitting on my behind!

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  2. Hope is a killer word in this journey! Don't "hopefully have treadmill post", HAVE a treadmill post. Hope is bad, determination to DO is good. And don't let your "idea" of exercise be what screws you. Just Do IT, like Nike says. Trust me, you do a little, you start wanting a little more and a little more each time!

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  3. As TB above says, Wii Fit are brilliant inventions, but i think the treadmill is a fine place to start too...i think maybe that you seem to be imagining too far into the future - you say you'll never be a runner or a fast-walker but try to stop imagining the end-products of an exercise program and instead just concentrate on this week, this day, etc...you will find that, if you listen to what your body is telling you, that over time you will move faster not because you have to but because you will want to. If you have an issue with your ankle, a treadmill is perfect because it allows you to build it's strength up gradually - here's some specific ankle-strengthening exercises that might be of use to help you build up.

    Also, try not to get into the habit of saying "never", try "not yet" instead - at the end of the day, you've got arms and legs and are able to move - be grateful for that and use it. You hear about returning soldiers that have had limbs blown off in Afghanistan who then go on to become para-Olympians. Remind yourself of things like this and our own puny struggles become meaningless in comparison - make time for your own health, no-one else can do it for you Debbi.

    All the best.

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  4. Get a couple of really good books that you can only read when you are on the treadmill. When it gets too cold to be outside, that's what motivates me to get on the tready.

    Hugs,
    Mary

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  5. This is the week for struggles with exercise isn't it. For some odd reason Jillian Michaels Couch potato to 5K has been something I can do. That's not to say I don't struggle with the 'I don't want to do this today' whineys but I push myself and get it done. I like to see the Checks (completed) instead of the ---Minus incomplete on my workout schedule.
    Yeah, I'm not a big runner or walker for that matter. Before this challenge came up I wouldn't/couldn't walk farther than a couple of blocks. Now I know I can do more - it surprised me but also challenged me to keep going -- who knows I just might run on a track some day.

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  6. First of all, I love the cartoon - it speaks such truth!

    Second, I am happy to see you coming around on this. I have to admit, I struggle with this, but lately I have gotten it in my head that if I do something, that is better than nothing. Furthermore, if I do something, I am developing a habit that may transpire into more.

    You can do this Debbi! Keep at it!

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  7. I love this blog! I just started exercising and food journaling (which I hate. Who knew Red Lobster's calamari was so evil?)Some days I get very despondent when I get on the scale and I've gained. You give me hope. And some really excellent recipe ideas. You can do this. And I can too!

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  8. Yes yes yes! Just do it! You might be surprised at how quickly you become addicted.

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  9. The facts are that if you want to lose weight, really want it, you have to find some kind of exercise. It doesn't matter what kind. You can do this. You can!

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  10. LOVE the cartoon, Debbi, I should have that tattooed on my brain!

    Lots of good suggestions in the comments. I'd add: Work with what you have. You've already got a treadmill, you've got legs and feet, and you've got little snippets of time.

    When I hopped onto the stationary bike that had been gathering dust here, I could only ride for 9 minutes the first time. But I felt SO GOOD afterwards, I immediately set my sights higher. Now, 4 weeks later, I can ride 40 minutes at a time, which really feels good.

    You can also do stuff like 5 frog squats (frog squats are gentle on the knees) every time you go to the bathroom, for example. They work!

    Make it FUN! You don't HAVE to go to a gym. What you HAVE to do is find a way which EXCITES *YOU* about moving your body! I struggled for long to get excited about getting my heart rate up - now that I have finally found something, I'm so glad I never gave up on myself.

    Good luck - looking forward to reading about your progress. And you are going to be SO proud of yourself!

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  11. Debbi-this post speaks right to me. I was the same way. I was so overwhelmed with the thought of exercise that I acutally had such a negative feeling towards any type of exercise. It wasnt until I found something that I loved doing that exercise got to be more fun. I urge you to find something, anything, that you love to do and stick with it. for me, it was zumba. I never thought I could or would enjoy it. But now I do and it has opened up new doors for me!

    Jennifer
    http://wecanlosethepounds.blogspot.com/

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  12. My viewpoint these days is that EVERYTHING that has you on your feet and moving around is exercise! That means cooking, housework, gardening, keeping track of kids running around, ALL of that is MOVEMENT!

    So don't worry too much about whether what you are doing is "gym exercise" or not, just be on your feet moving around as much as you can.

    I often put music on when I'm cooking, because I tend to move around quicker in the kitchen. And it makes cooking more fun.

    Build up gradually on that treadmill, and that will help, but whatever movement you can do is going to be beneficial.

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  13. Go for it!!!

    I have two tips that might be helpful:

    One is to use an exercise ball to build your core strength in just a few minutes a day. Fun, too, and there are lots of other exercises you can do with it.

    Another is to store your unrefrigerated foods, especially the most tempting ones, in a less convenient room some distance from the kitchen. We discovered this by accident when we moved into a house where the kitchen is kind of small and (since we stock up on things on sale and therefore keep a lot of food on hand) put our pantry in the basement, where we have to cross a room and go down a flight of stairs to get the pasta or peanut butter or whatever. It burns calories and makes you think twice about eating!

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