Q: How do you make time for regular exercise? Spill any physical fitness, wellness, and health secrets!

A: You want the truth, or can I lie, so this is a better read?

I laugh. This is how conversations almost always start when struck up with fellow parents, whether they’re into fitness consistently or not. Notice the word consistently. This is a keyword!

FREQUENCY

If you’re able to do something every day, that’s optimal. Do you need to? Depends on who you are, and why you do it. For many folks, 4 times a week is sufficient. For me, that’s not nearly enough. Here’s why (and I own this!): I’m not the best me without it; I’m a grump (dreadfully unattractive, shall we say).

Now, to be really down-and-dirty honest? Let me define what “doing something every day” means for me: getting out of bed to move my body FOR me. Period. Wait, what? That’s it? Yep. That’s it. The range of activities is HUGE! Check these out

– 60-minute Orange Theory Fitness class
– 20-minute elliptical + stretch quickie
– 30-minute walk with both medium-size dogs
– 45-minute hike with my husband
– 20-minute run with one pooch (the other one isn’t programmed for distance)
– sex with your spouse (however long)
– 90-minute yoga class

The list goes on and on, right?

Full disclosure: I’ve needed regular exercise since I was little.  I danced classical ballet through half of high school and got into tennis and downhill skiing.  Also, I messed around with racquetball, flag football, and running in college. Since having my three children, running, weight training and yoga keep me sane. I’ve even completed two marathons (completed … not won or placed)!

I don’t share this to make you feel lazy. I share this to be thought provoking. I’m hardly perfect (terribly human actually). I’ve dealt with injuries that have slowed me waaay down and made me flat out cranky.

LESSONS

Wanna know what I figured out along the way? I needed:

– the stress relief.
– a physical outlet as a mental break.
– fitness to be a part of my regular daily routine.
– the reminder that I’m still a live and valuable person worth investing in.

Most of all, in order to bring my “A” game to each day for work, career, and family, I needed to do something regularly for me and about me. Negating yourself “for the sake of” ANY thing (marriage, family, career, challenges, vacations, whatever) means you don’t value yourself. When YOU don’t value you, how on earth do you expect anyone else to? You won’t feel good either. If you don’t feel good, how are you going to look good? (Not feeling good is not sexy.)

CONCLUSION

Here’s my FINAL ANSWER on REGULAR FITNESS: Take care of yourself. VALUE yourself. We’re each worth investing our time, money and energy in daily in some way. To be MY best TO me and FOR me (and for ALL those around me), no matter how busy I get, my daily exercise in some form, is vitally important. Trust me! We’re all worth it.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/2016-fitness-trends-hiit_us_56f04617e4b084c672210ff4

Street sign graphic from amazon.com