Every so often, I like to treat myself to a cookie, bowl of ice cream or glass of wine. I figure if I feed myself nutritious foods 90% of the time, I can relax 10% of the time and indulge my craving. Fortunately, I also enjoy exercising on most days of the week.
I wasn’t always this dedicated to exercise, though. When I was younger, I considered the trip from the couch to the refrigerator my daily walk! Needless to say I gained some weight, was tired all the time and didn’t feel very good about myself.
When a friend suggested I start adding in a few minutes of walking into my day I didn’t know where I would fit it in! I worked full time and had tons of activities in the evening – I wasn’t about to give up my social life for some exercise! Then he suggested getting up before work to fit in a walk. I looked at him like he was crazy. Get up early, out of my warm and comfy bed, and go walking?!
It didn’t seem like a fair trade to me, but I promised my friend I would try it for two weeks. If I still didn’t like it he promised that he would never bring it up again.
That first morning I awoke to my alarm clock blasting “Wake Me Up before you Go-Go” and I desperately wanted to smack the snooze button. But I didn’t. Instead, I threw my clothes on, laced up my sneakers and headed out the door.
After 30 minutes I was still half asleep but done with my exercise for the day. For the next few weeks it was still a struggle getting up early, but by the 4th week I had my “Eureka!” moment. Waking up had gotten easier. I started lying out my walking clothes the night before and had the coffer maker set. After getting out the door, I was welcomed with a clear, crisp morning.
I never knew how peaceful it could be before everyone started their daily commute. Animals feel the same way I, guess because I saw a family of deer, a turkey and plenty of other critters along my route. It all made sense that morning – this is why so many people get up early for their workout!
Now because I complete my workout before work, I could meet up with friends afterwards! By 5:30 a.m. I already have one thing checked off my to-do list! Did you know that morning exercisers are more likely to stick with their exercise routine that those who wait until later in the day?
Since that fateful day when I started walking in the morning, I can’t imagine not starting my day with my workout. It wakes me up, gives me more energy at work and I have never felt better! Of course there have been a few days where I opted for more sleep in lieu of a workout – less than 6 hours of sleep leaves me pretty cranky.
For those just starting, how do you manage to fit in exercise? Are you a morning person or do you prefer working up a sweat in the evening?
Related Posts:
Subscribe to Groupie Blog to receive free updates on the latest health and wellness posts in your feed reader or e-mail!
4