I am not a sports person, exercise doesn’t come naturally to me – as soon as someone mentions that word, (exercise) I instantly feel fatigued, a failure, less than.
I know I should exercise; I know that essentially if I don’t exercise, then this may result in increased lack of mobility and poor health (both physical and mental) but somehow I just don’t have the drive or determination to keep the habit up.
Don’t get me wrong, I am not lazy, in fact I struggle to have a cut-off switch with any task that I undertake, and I love walking, gardening, even some stretching. I love the idea of yoga and what it can do for my mental, physical and spiritual health. And believe me I try – I have a list!
One of my goals on my vision board for this year is to walk daily. Mondays and Fridays are for longer walks, and Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday are for shorter walks. Or, if I struggle to find the time to fit in a walk in between sessions with clients, I can access apps for Tai Chi, Yoga and stretching. I even have a few alternatives for those days of feeling overwhelmed, just doing housework or gardening can be enough movement to give me a mental boost - plus the fact I can also admire my handiwork when I am finished!
This year the intention is to generally be more active. Rather than start at the gym, or sign up to an app, or even get a personal trainer, (these are all things I have attempted in the past, and they are all things that have fallen by the wayside, even when approached with the best of intentions), as the word ‘exercise’ seems to cause me such a challenge, I decided to change the terminology from exercise to movement. I think that if I do that it will be easier to stick to (The Plan), and create a habit that will stay with me.
Strangely, this is something that I have always struggled with, even as a child. I tried running club, judo, swimming, hockey, netball – and hated every single one of them! My muscles ached, I struggled to keep up, and of course it also meant that I was singled out and made fun of. Always the last to be picked for the team.
As a grown up, what I do know now is that by being more active and getting out in the fresh air, it helps with my sleep, my mood and the choices I make around food. All things that we now prescribe for people who struggle with Anxiety, Depression and Insomnia.
If like me, you struggle with watching all these amazing people who manage to juggle full time roles with family, running marathons, taking part in triathlons or running with your child in one of those 3 wheeled trikes and feel somewhat lacking, then you are not alone. I would love to know where you get your dedication and inspiration from to do these things! If anyone who reads this has some answers, then please share them with me and the other people like me who struggle with that word ‘exercise’.