Get moving!

9^th August 2011

The most damaging phrase in the language is: 'It's always been done that way.'

Grace Murray Hopper

I knew it wasn’t going to be good on the scales yesterday and it wasn’t I gained 1.5lb but on a positive I looked really slim in my outfit yesterday so I’m happy.  It was a great day all round yesterday, my members lost 140lb and Lisa Guest reached her goal and that always makes a good day when a member achieves what she set out to do, it’s also great to share their success. 

Whatever’s been going on in your life lately, decide right now to draw a line across today's date on your calendar, or through your mind's time line. Everything behind the line is finished and it won't serve you to chew over it.  Today you're in the business of building tomorrow. The future won't be different or better if you build it with the past.  Life can take many things from you, but only you can give away the power to begin again.  Whatever has occurred, you can start over.  Will you?

So that might be something as simple as your diet, or it might be a much deeper issue, either way you can draw a line and move forward, your problems may still be there but how you approach them will make all the difference. 

A great way to deal with stress is exercise, I watched a member walk in my meeting yesterday morning, she’s only been coming for three or four weeks now and I actually did a double take before I realised it was her and it was only because her daughter was stood next to her!  She’s had her hair cut, lost just over half stone and started exercising and she looks fabulous already, so it shows how making changes can have almost an immediate effect on your life. 

 
Mmm exercise you might be thinking, I don’t like it, I haven’t got time for it, but can we learn to love it?  Can we find the time?  The lady I’ve just mentioned incorporated into her day yesterday by taking the kids swimming, she’s also decided to work a few extra hours to pay a cleaner to tidy her house so she’ll have more time to spend with her family and by herself – genius!

So how can you fit in some exercise, have you noticed that the moment you decide to exercise, something always gets in the way? Someone drops round your house, the kids need help with their homework, the dog eats your trainers. You want to get fit but something always comes up. Maybe it's time to organise your exercise… Plan a routine that fits in with your lifestyle. If you work irregular hours like I do, you can’t sign up for classes that start at the same time each week. Instead, choose activities that can be easily slotted into your day – walk the kids to school, for example, or do something fun in your lunch hour.  I’m an early bird so I get my walk in first thing before my day starts because I know I won’t do it later in the day.

Just like you track and plan your food, do the same with exercise, it’ll help you organise your time properly, draw up a weekly timetable of planned exercises and activities. This will also help you see how much exercise you're getting. Try to do something for at least 20 minutes each day, even if it's just gardening or having a brisk stroll to the shops.

I’m all about the reward, give yourself a treat. Buy flowers every time you finish your weekly gym session or run. Or why not finish your 30 minute brisk stroll at the newagents and buy a magazine.

Would you find it easier if you had support, someone doing it with you? Also if you make sure everyone else knows when and where you plan to exercise. This way you shouldn't get any unwelcome interruptions. Also, if you need someone to mind the kids while you exercise, make sure you arrange this well in advance – don't rely on last minute favours.

Organisation is key isn’t it, why not have your exercise clothes in a separate drawer ready and if you’re a lover of clothes why not indulge yourself and treat yourself to some new exercise gear too! Leave your gym back where you can see it – by the front door maybe and when you get home put them straight in the washer so your ready for the next time.

Don’t give yourself a hard time either, remember we all struggle with motivation from time to time. Anticipating these feelings can go a long way to combating them. For instance, if you sometimes struggle to go to your aerobics class, get a friend to call you to check you're not still sitting on the settee!  And avoid distractions, it easy for the lure of the pub, or a friend popping round for an impromptu chat to stop you exercising. Learn to recognise your particular 'danger zones' and take steps to negotiate your way round them.

Phew I’m exhausted and done nothing after thinking about that now, so I’m off for my leisurely walk with Alfie, and my 20 minutes of exercise today will be loading and unloading my car of Weight Watcher boxes!