Seeing that amount of physical activity tracked in my journal got me to thinking about how much a part of my life being active is now. I never used to be this active, I might walk a few times a week for 15 minutes, or attend a water aerobics class now and then, but not much more than that. I know that being physically active is key to keeping my weight off, so how does "plain Jane", ordinary me do it?
1.I make it a need, not a want. I need to be active for at least an hour a day. I think ahead about what my day has in store (drop the kid off at at school - quick to the grocery store, race to work, get the kid from school, swim class for the kid, home to change the wet laundry to the dryer, homework, kiss the husband, whip up a fabulous and healthy meal, feed the dog, fold the laundry, check the mail...) - what was I saying? Oh yeah, physical activity. Whew! When in the world do I think I'm going to find an hour in my day to walk?!
Okay, so let's break it down.
- Can I walk the dog in the morning for 10 minutes before heading off to school today? Yup.
- Can I park the car at the far end of the parking lot at the grocery store? Yup.
- Can I walk around the office while on a conference call? For a little while, sure.
- Can I make it a priority to spend a half hour walking the dog after the kid is in bed and the dishes are done? You bet.
Voila! - an hour of physical activity in my day. Sure, there are days when it's super easy to plan for an hour at the gym, but most days I just sneak it in here and there, and it feels so manageable when it's broken down into little chunks. The minutes really do add up!
2. I make plans with other people. It's so easy to talk myself out of going out for a walk alone sometimes, but if I know I'm meeting someone I'm much more likely to not try to back out of it. Besides, walking with someone makes the time pass so much faster, and surrounding myself with other physically active people is a good motivator for me. I also make plans with my family. Where two years ago a typical Saturday would have included a movie, some reading and a drive, now it involves walking around the farmer's market to pick up some fresh fruit before going to the playground with my daughter (she swings on the swing set, and I walk the dog around the playground), followed by some gardening, and maybe a quick trip to the swimming pool before supper.
3. I have positive role models in my life. Okay, I admit it. I'm easily influenced. This can be a bad thing (like going out with friends who all order nachos and beer) or it can be a good thing. People like my hiking buddy, (who, by the way, was headed to the gym after our walk to work out with weights) or my good friend back home who has made being active a priority in her life, teaching Pilates classes and sharing how she manages to get an hour 's workout on the elliptical machine(I'm still working on that one!) are key for me. I need the friends who just like to sit and chat, because that's important to me, but balancing that out with the friends who like to walk and talk is going to help keep me on track. I also happen to work with some very good role models here at RNfit Weight Management, and being able to problem solve with them is so helpful.
4. I need variety. I'm a big walker. Always have been. I like the being alone in the woods kind of walking, just me and my dog. I like routine, but I know for me that changing things up helps me to lose weight. So for me, variety while walking means walking different places, different times of the day, and having some walks that are longer, to make up for the days that I can't get to that one hour that I push for every day. I know that I like to walk most of all, but I also like working out with weights, swimming and doing water aerobics, rowing and kayaking. I fit those in here and there to keep from getting bored.
5.I acknowledge what I've done. For me this means two different things. It means writing down how much physical activity I've done for the day in my journal to help me stay on track, but it also means giving myself the proverbial "pat on the back" for what I've accomplished. I've changed so much in the past two years, from someone who exercised occasionally to someone who is very physically active. Sure, I would love to work out more, do more, be more like a lot of the people that I know, but just doing what I am right now is huge for me (and keeping me from being huge :), and I need to recognize that.
