Tuesday Tell All: Shaping Up

Exercise is my one and only daily release. It's my time to forget about the laundry, chores and to do list and just escape for one hour into my zone where I can think, read or simply watch TV or a movie. It's my personal recharge and gets me through the day. When I don't exercise I am grumpy. It's not that I'm changing my body type or burning a certain amount of calories. I simply am mad at myslef that I didn't get my act together enough to find time to check it off the list and get it done. It's very rare that I miss or skip a day. The only time since I was 16, when I started running with my mom, that I took off long periods of time from exercise was when I was pregnant with my 2 sets of twins. When the boys arrived I got right back to business 6 weeks later. When babies 4 and 5 were inside, I stopped doing any major physical activity when I was 18 weeks pregnant and didn't get back into my routine until ten months later. I had moved, painted half my house, drove carpool 4 times and day and I was dead tired. I knew my limit and respected it. But once I laced up those shoes and was set on getting back into my groove I haven't veered off course.

I think the only way to succeed with accomplishing regular exercise is to enjoy what you do. You have to like it more than you hate it, otherwise the million of little reasons that keep you from it with pop into your mind and another day will pass without you moving.

I had a passion for running. It started my sophomore year of high school until I was 20 years old. At my peak I was running 6 miles everyday, at least 10 miles on Saturday and would sometimes fit in afternoon runs after school, even though I had run in the morning. I trained for the St. George Marathon, had a number and ran 19 miles one afternoon and felt great. Then I met Rich which derailed my marathon. Which I didn't mind one bit. Then in July 1997, out of the blue, my back started to hurt quite badly. I took some time off, but the pain gradually increased. Finally in December after loss of motion in my leg I had an MRI and found I had a herniated disc that would require surgery. Being so young and not wanting to experience a life time of back problems, especially when I got pregnant later on, I simply stopped running. That was it for me. I knew my long term health was more important that my love of running. It was hard, but I felt like it was the right choice for me.

After surgery I bought an exercise bike, and while I miss the physical excursion running requires, I found that I could still maintain a high level of physical fitness by riding a stationary bike. Eleven years later I am still peddling away. I ride for one hour Monday-Saturday. It is part of me, just like eating and breathing. My kids know its what mom does. They learn from a young age to stay away from the peddles and play close by. It's part of who I am and I know it makes me happy. Sure, I've tried Pilates, I would love to get an Elliptical machine someday and when I'm in Utah I treat myself to a run every morning, but I don't push it too far and I'm content with what I can physcially do. You have to see what your limit are and then try to reach them. That's the key to making it work. Find what fits your personality and lifestyle and stick to it. You'll never regret you did.