Saturday, November 14, 2009

The Best Form of Exercise

This morning I realized that I had forgotten how satisfying waking up sore after a workout really is. It makes me feel like my body is working the way it's supposed to. It feels nice. It's not the greatest feeling in the world, but it makes me feel like I'm on my way to accomplishing my fitness goals.
I was going to make Saturday my rest day. I wasn't going to be in a rush to jump out of bed and start working out. Being sore this morning, I really didn't have much of a choice about jumping out of bed and doing anything. Instead of a structured workout, I did the best form of exercise there is - chasing Charlie around and playing Frisbee. Exercising and spending time with my son, what could be better than that? It was a beautiful fall day. We giggled and ran and explored and threw the Frisbee. It was one of those wonderful days that you never want to forget.
After our morning "exercise", we took our adventure to the local Farmers Market. It was so much fun. I was feeling adventurous, so I did three food things I've never done before. 1.) I sampled a Vegan snickerdoodle cookie. Amazingly, I really enjoyed it. It was a smidgen on the dry side, but it was rather tasty. 2.) We purchased free range beef. I've tried it before, but can't remember exactly how it tasted. I'm anxious to see if it is something that I would like to add to my diet. 3.) We purchased a Japanese persimmon. I wanted to try something new, so we'll see how it goes.
I enjoyed a great afternoon of lunch and shopping with my mom and sister. We really had a great time. We all have the same goofy sense of humor, so it was fun.
Thank you Lord for a beautiful day!

Friday, November 13, 2009

The Weirdness

Is there a wrinkle in the fabric of the universe that is causing bizarre things to happen that someone forgot to mention? The past two weeks in our corner of the universe have just been odd. That's the only way to explain it. I guess it's just the way life works. Weird things happen. Things go back to "normal". It's just the cyclical motion of life. Maybe it's a good thing when all the weird things happen at once, so we can get them out of the way. At least it keeps life interesting. Of course, it can be those little foxes that creep in and throw us off our plans and knock us off the track toward achieving our goals. That's why it is important to have/know three things:
1. Know that God has a plan for you . We may not always understand it, but He does.
2. Have a clear, concise mental picture of what your goals are, so that in tough times you will be able to keep your eye on the prize and not be distracted.
3. Always look for joy in your journey. There will always be a little something there to make you smile.
I have to admit that I am one who has found myself way off track thanks to those pesky foxes. Sometimes it only takes the littlest thing. You think it won't matter, but suddenly it does. One day it's just drinking a soda or skipping one work out, soon it's drinking a bunch of soda and realizing you haven't worked out in a month. Sometimes you have to be spontaneous and just enjoy a special treat or an extra 30 minutes in bed, but if you don't have a clear plan to your goals, it is that much easier to hit the snooze button every morning and let your cravings over take your desire to be healthy.
So this morning when I woke up and wasn't feeling well, I thought I might just skip my working out. I thought I'd done enough this week, but something inside me said to get up. Get up and at least do 10 minutes of exercise. I was a little slower than normal, but decided to do 20 minutes instead. I won't lie. I thought about just stopping quite a few times, but then I remembered how much better I've been feeling and how much more empowered I feel when I do work out. I didn't want to give in. I even tried a new workout (that I most likely will skip in the future). A jumping workout with a stomach ache is not the wisest move, but at least I can say I did it!
Blessings!

Thursday, November 12, 2009

My kickboxing adventure

I tried the new 10 minute kickboxing video today. It's been a long time since I tried kickboxing. First, I'm glad that it was only 10 minutes. Second, I remember now why it's probably been about 10 years since I tried kickboxing. Third, I really don't think I like kickboxing all that much. Besides looking like a flailing chicken, it is too jarring to my lower back that I've had issues with. It also isn't any fun for me. Maybe I'll try it again as my abs get tighter and as I start to strengthen my back. Maybe if I was actually punching someone I would like it. Just kidding. I am happy that I tried something new, though.

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

A book I just read



Overall, I found this to be a decent and engaging read. The plot line was generally predictable, but creative all at the same time. The creativity of the story is the persepective from which the story is told. The characters are interesting and well-developed (for a dog's mind anyways).We have all felt trapped at some point in our lives, whether it be by our circumstances or limitations, but it is the way with which we intentionally live our lives that determines the the quality of our life.

Finding balance

The journey to good health is as much a spiritual journey as it is a physical one. The physical condition of the body is most often the outward appearance of the spiritual condition within. My mother used to tell me that a messy room was often just a physical manifestation of how we were feeling. My room was usually a cluttered mess with one or two perfectly organized drawers - go figure. Even from an early age, I had difficulty finding balance. Balance of time and focus; balance of sticking to a plan versus giving in to my cravings; balance of eating right and working out.
One day I will find it, I'm sure. For now, I will just continue on this journey, living intentionally each day and seeking joy in all that I do.

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

The seasons are changing

Hello old friend. It's been awhile since I filled your pages with the details that make up a life. The seasons have changed, yet again. Now it is fall. The leaves are falling. The weather is delightful. There is just something about fall. Some people think that the start of a new year is the perfect time to start something new - new workout, new eating plan - but I think fall is the right time to begin something new. Perhaps I think like this because, like most people, I was trained from an early age that fall is when school starts. It's the time when a new phase of life begins.

I decided (after I saw my husband had started working out again)that it was time to start moving. Time to think about getting healthy again. I want to have this started before my least favorite season gets here. Winter. I need something that will energize me through the dark, chilly months of winter. It will keep me focused when all I will really want to do is curl up under the covers and sleep. I've often wondered if perhaps I am part bear. When it starts to get cold outside and the darkness overtakes the day earlier, I have this amazing desire to sleep, to hibernate under the covers. So I need something to give me energy, to fight my natural urge to hide away under the covers and sleep away the winter chill.

Finding a workout that suits me is the best cure. It will give me the strength and energy to conquer the day.I started last week with a short boot camp on Sparkpeople.com. Sparkpeople is an excellent resource for anyone looking to start a new fitness/wellness routine. The boot camp was just challenging enough to help me get a good start without feeling overwhelmed by starting something new. It also was a great jump start to getting me to want to add to my workout. To be honest, I've never been one who really enjoyed cardio equipment, and the Lord certainly didn't build me to be a runner. I have decided to go with what workouts naturally suit my personality - dance, yoga, weights, walking. If I do something that feels natural to me, then I feel like I'll be more likely to stick with it long term instead of trying to force myself into doing something that doesn't interest me.

My challenge will be in getting my workouts and my eating habits aligned. I typically find that I can do one or the other, but I can't do both when it comes to healthy eating or working out. I know it's two sides of the same coin. I just can't seem to get it balanced. Just gotta keep working on it, I guess.