Monday, July 9, 2012

Exercising, this time it's for my Golden Years

Exercising has never been my favorite thing to do, not by a long shot.

Walking? Sure! as long as there is something beautiful or interesting to look at, or if I am trying to, you know, get somewhere, but call it exercise and you've taken the fun out of it.
Dancing? Absolutely! at a party, at a club, at a concert, heck, even in the grocery store (c'mon, that Muzak can be pretty hard to resist huh?), but make me follow a particular routine being shouted out by a cutesie little instructor in spandex, and I would rather be interrogated by the CIA.

Yes, I DO feel better when I'm done (and not just because I'm done!), and yes, my body starts to love me more after a few days, but it takes a lot to make me stick with it. Worse than that, it takes A LOT to make me start after a hiatus.

Most of the times I have started exercising have been out of vanity, most of those didn't last very long. A few times it was for my mental health, those efforts lasted a bit more, I'm talking months. And every time I sang an opera professionally, I exercised religiously, every day, a lot, really well, and got a lot of benefit from it; it was for my Job. Go figure.

But here lately I've been witness to some less-than-graceful and much-less-than-healthy aging, and I DON'T WANT THAT TO BE ME. Much of it has to do with attitude, what doesn't? but so much of it has to do with simply not caring for the body 10-20 even 40 years ago.

Ugh.

As those of you who have read this blog before know, I am very good about eating a healthy, balanced and mostly locally grown diet... most of the time ;)  I still don't drink enough water or get enough sleep, but I'm working on those, and I have, I am SO PROUD to announce, reduced my stress level and my addiction to worry and drama by a good 75%, thanks to having grown in my faith, studying a lot of metaphysical-woo-woo stuff, taking full responsibility for everything in my life, and practicing the meditation technique taught as part of The Silva Method.

**(I am not exaggerating or kidding. I truly feel it changed my life. I have bought several study-at-home programs from them, but the Silva Life System is my favorite. However, Shhhhhh!, don't tell the Silva people this, but my favorite meditation is the first one I tried, the one they send out with the FREE program they offer!)**

BUT, exercising has not really been a consistent part of my pursuit for a healthier life, and now it has become OBVIOUS to me that I have no choice anymore. It *has* to be if I am to enjoy my 60's, 70's and even 80's the way I want to.

So, I am happy to share that I have now done my favorite Leslie Sansone walking DVD workout five days in a row! Woo hoo...

I can hear your eyes rolling all the way over here, yes I KNOW five days is a ridiculously small achievement to be celebrating, but I will take my victories where I can!! Aaaaand, for your information, before the cool-down, I've been rewinding and doing extra time, making sure my heart rate is up for 20 minutes so there *raspberry*

Now I'm going to bed, after midnight, again, so hopefully in a few days you'll also read a post about how I've gotten 7 hours of sleep every night for 5 nights in a row???

We'll see. At least I'll be telling you about how I feel from the continued exercise and mostly raw diet :)


1 comment:

  1. "Seeing the future" has got to be the most motivational thing for anyone. My mother has been pulling out her hair to the point of looking like a chemo patient, needing to wear a hat and having emotional meltdowns about how she can't control it. As I'm shaking my head at her wondering how someone could possibly do something like this.. anxiety? Stress? She mentions how she picked her face for 40 years and she must have "graduated" to pulling her hair. And I thought to myself OMG I have to stop picking my face (mostly unhealthy eating habits, tons of stress and anxiety and a little genetics causing acne) I thought, I can not be like her, I will not pull my hair, this has to stop now. If we treat my mind, body and spirit as kind as possible NOW we will be better later! And let me tell you- meditation, eating healthy, EXERCISE, and not touching my face for FIVE days made a difference. Yes, I'm jumping up and down for five days also! <3 M

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