Hey all!  Well we’re two weeks into the school year and I am absolutely exhausted.  I haven’t gone to bed later than 9 o’clock in a week and feel like I’ve been hit by a Mac truck.  Despite this, I decided that I really needed to get my lazy bottom up and try to get back into some form of exercise regime.

Jillian Michael’s Ripped in 30

I got myself up and dressed, set-up my make-shift gym (in the living room) and plugged in my Jillian Michael’s Ripped in 30 DVD.  I like it because it is intense, but short ~ 20 minutes. Seriously, no excuses, 20 minutes is doable for anyone.  I am not too proud to say that I have been too lazy to exercise. Everyone can find 20 minutes, I just have not made it a priority in my life lately and I really need to change that.  The premise of this program is to do 3 minutes strength, 2 minutes cardio and 1 minute abs X 3, with each of the three sets being completely different. Clearly, I am not in very good shape as I don’t remember this ever being so hard.  I got through the workout with sweat pouring and total exhaustion taking over my body.  By the end of the two minute stretch, I started to feel very over-heated and had to sit with my head between my legs for several minutes before venturing outside to cool down. (A very proud moment indeed ~ sick after a measly 20 minutes…really?) After several minutes, I started to feel slightly better.  That is well enough to make it to the couch to lie down and have an hour nap.  I just love working-out and getting back in shape ~ NOT!!  So much to look forward to tomorrow!

Focus on the Why

It is now about 2 1/2 hours later, I have eaten 2 pouched eggs on a slice of toast and feel almost normal, but am still sporting a beet red face.  I know that I feel so much better when I am exercising regularly and really have to push through this stage.  I find that everything works better with proper conditioning ~ digestion, sleep, stamina, energy levels and over-all health.  With working close to fulltime hours, the kids activities and now daily blogging, I need to exercise more than ever. Jillian recommends working out 5 to 6 days per week.  I have done lots of reading on the negative impact of over-exercise and how it can actually cause inflammation and strain on your body. I will not be following her recommendations.  I may begin with 5 days this week just to get the kinks out, but I plan to aim for 3 to 4 work-outs per week in addition to my Thursday night volleyball.  I have never been an exercise addict, I do it for the results and health benefits ~ nothing more.  There is not a single work-out that I love, but there are some that I hate less and almost enjoy.  Yoga is definitely on that list.  I enjoy Yoga more than most programs and always feel like I have had a good workout.  There is a part of the P90X Yoga workout that I do actually love and that is the last nine minutes when you get to totally relax in the Child’s Pose and then flip over and do the Corpse Pose.  I usually fall asleep at this point.  (I can’t help it, it is in my blood ~ my dad’s family can literally fall asleep anywhere.)

I am a very determined person.  When I truly make a decision and am committed to a cause, system or plan, I am very good at sticking to it ~ be it exercise, eating plans, blogging or anything else.  For me, I can stick to anything as long as I focus on the WHY.  It is really the key to success in anything.  You must create a really strong case for WHY it is worth the effort to commit to something or even take the initial risk when stepping outside your comfort zone.  When you build-up the WHY and focus only on the results/goal, there really is no other option, but to stick to it.  Keep focussed on the WHY at all times and in all areas of your life.  I try very hard not to focus on the how, the when or the possibility of failure.

Having said that, exercise is definitely something that I have always struggled with.  When I do a structured plan like P90X, guaranteed I will not miss a single day for 3 months. However, when the program ends, my commitment is over and I have found I often slowly slip into a new commitment… of doing little to nothing. That is why for me, I now understand myself well enough to know that I need to take on a commitment that I will stick to long-term.  Again, that whole concept of being “A little, A lot” person, instead of “A lot, A little” person.  If I workout for less time (20 to 30 minutes), less often (3 to 4 times per week), I am more likely to do it for a long time.   This makes more sense than working-out like crazy every day (a lot) and then it only lasts a short time.  I like structure, so I often find it much easier to get up at 5:30am to workout before going to work.  On weekends and my day off, I find that there are more distractions with the kids up and around and a huge list of “to do’s”.  It is not uncommon for the whole day to pass by without exercising.

Back on the Wagon

I am really going to have to use my own advise and focus on the WHY, as I am really not looking forward to a repeat of today, tomorrow.  I sure didn’t feel well. However, I now have the added incentive and pressure of having to admit to you all that I quit and am not doing anything. The stakes now seem pretty high, so I guess I can add that to my WHY list!