Keeping up with my November challenge, I am currently reading a fabulous book by Candace Cameron Bure (known from her role as DJ from Full House) called Reshaping It All: Motivation for Physical and Spiritual Fitness. This book has been a great lead into my December challenge.
Exercise.
Photo from http://www.comeweightloss.com.
I feel bad for exercise. It really gets a terrible rap by people who don’t give it a chance. I know I’m not as busy as most people, but at the same time, it doesn’t take that much time to fit in a 30 minute jog. In addition, if you take things easy and gradually work yourself into the new workout routine, the pain is minimal. If there is pain, it’s probably nothing some Aleve or a nice glass of wine can’t fix.
I’ve avoided exercise for a long time because I had those negative views. Now, I’ve been a gym member for about a month and have loved it.
I am not only exercising for the toning and other health benefits, but I need to lose weight. I lost a bunch of weight for my wedding in June 2010 through dieting. However, I didn’t maintain the weight loss due to my lack of exercising and mental and spiritual change. This time around, I will be making a total change – mind, body, and spirit. Again, I highly recommend Candace’s book for this reason.
After getting acquainted with the facilities at my gym, here are the challenges:
Couch-to-5k
There are many sites out there that provide workouts for the couch-to-5k plan, but I used one from Cool Running. The goal is to run a 5k in 9 weeks – the end of January.
I am doing this on a treadmill to help push me. I have never been a runner and I need as much help as I can get.
Now, it’s getting colder here in South Dakota, so I wont be running any outdoor marathons anytime soon. Once it thaws, I plan to participate in the Avera Race Against Breast Cancer on May 12, 2012. Between the frosty months of February and April, I can train outdoors on a track.
Racquetball
I was a cheerleader in high school – and that’s about as far as my athletic went. I’m flexible, but am missing the crucial hand-eye coordination most athletes possess. So yes, I think racquetball is a great sport for me to try. Jordan and I have enjoyed playing so far. Hopefully my coordination will improve!
What do you do to exercise and stay in shape? Leave a comment below!
