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Getting Started With The Right Attitude by Karen Millard Two philosophies get me through my days. The first is that exercise is a part of my life. It's not the most important part, by any means. Like brushing my teeth, it's something I do regularly and frequently but not something I obsess about. I do it for the shape of my body and I do it for my health. And yes, my reasons come in that order! If I exercise to stay slim and the side-effect is that my heart, lungs and muscles stay strong and healthy, why worry if my primary motivation is shameless vanity? I use what I can. That's a good principle to keep in mind. A home-based work-out program requires you to be self-motivated. If your motivation isn't strong enough, you won't keep at it. Whatever your own reasons for choosing to work out at home, try and identify your real motivation for wanting to exercise in the first place. Do you want to be slim and toned and beautiful? Do you want to lower your blood pressure or your weight? Do you want to manage the stress in your life? All of these are valid reasons. So don't be shy. Don't think you have to be noble. (My favorite reason for beginning an exercise program came from one of my best friends, "I want my thighs to stop moving when I do.") Discover your own driving force, start exercising and I promise you, all the other benefits will tag right along. My second philosophy is rather shorter than my first and goes like this: Wing it! I live by this maxim partly because of my scatter-brained personality, partly because I'm a mother (hmm, could there be a connection I've missed?) and partly because I'm not independently wealthy. Also because it bears considerably on my first philosophy. Here's how. Your home, to state the obvious, is likely to possess neither the state-of-the-art equipment, nor the floor space that any reasonably well-appointed gym can boast. What it can offer is any number of off-the-cuff possibilities not only for aerobic exercise, but also for those other cornerstones of the fitness triangle - strength training and stretching. On the other hand, your home also offers an almost infinite number of distractions and temptations. Imagine you've decided to work out in front of the TV every Monday, Wednesday and Friday morning. Now imagine that one Monday morning you need to rush child #1 to the doctor's with a stomach virus, by Wednesday said virus has migrated to child #2 and by Friday you've caught it yourself. What happens to your workout? Winging it allows you to decide that once your sick baby is tucked up in bed under the watchful eye of your spouse, you can head out for a 45 minute walk, or down to the basement with a skipping rope. If you've had a horrible day at work and can't stand the thought of staring at that exercise video with its perfect bodies in their perfect leotards, winging it allows you to have a warm bath and follow it up with some easy yoga stretches. If you'd planned to lift your weights but you sprained your wrist wrestling the stroller into the trunk, winging it allows you to do some aerobic dancing to your favorite music. (Babies love to watch mom gyrate this way. Older kids tend to leave the room with anguished looks on their faces.) Winging it also applies to equipment and facilities. In future columns I'll discuss these aspects of a home-based exercise program in more detail. For now, I'll simply say that just as you don't need a glamorous leotard to work out at home, nor do you need expensive equipment. The point is to use what you can. As your fitness level and commitment grow, you'll want to upgrade your equipment. Fine, do so. But wait until you know what you like and in the meantime, don't waste time. Wing it! In the coming months I'll help you design
a home-based workout program you can live with. I'll help you stay
motivated. I'll counter the objections and rationalizations your
sub-conscious will inevitably throw in your way. I'll show you which
programs and equipment work, and which are a waste of time and money. I'll
be your virtual, home-based, workout partner. ANY QUESTIONS PLEASE EMAIL THE MODERATORS |
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