No time for exercise? NO WAY!- Take the 21 day challenge and WIN!

From the very beginning of my weight loss journey, actually even before it really started, I decided that exercise would be a part of my regular routine.  I read all of the studies and research that showed my chance of long-term success was greatly increased by adding regular exercise at least three times a week to my routine.

Before surgery, I was not an exerciser.  I would occasionally walk a bit, but that was really all I did.  Now it is simply a part of life.  I cannot even imagine NOT exercising anymore.  I really get upset when I hear people say they just do not have time to exercise.  To me, that is just like saying “I don’t have time to take my vitamins”, or “I don’t have time to get my protein in each day”.

Exercise has to become a habit and not a chore in order to maintain long-term weight loss and health.  This does not mean we all have to run 5 miles five times a week in order to maintain health and weight.  There are proven cardio benefits from just doing a 15-20 minute walk three times a week.

A good place to start if you do not currently exercise regularly is with walking.  Make it a goal to walk around the block in your neighborhood three times a week and then build from there.  My running was never planned to be RUNNING.  The goal was just to get my butt moving.  The neat thing about exercise is that once it becomes a habit, you cannot even imagine NOT doing it daily.

Have you ever heard the phrase that it takes 21 days to make something a habit?  It really is true.  If you make it a point to do something every day for 21 days in a row, it will become a habit.  Try it for yourself.  Make a commitment to MOVE for at least 15 minutes a day for the next 21 days.

Come back to this post and leave me your observations.  I think you will be surprised.  Now there are some days where the business of being a wife, mother, business owner, radio host, and volunteer DO get in the way and on those days, creativity comes into play a lot more.  Yesterday was one of those days.  It was raining and my schedule was jam-packed.  It would have been really easy to just say OKAY, I give up.  No exercise today.

I chose to get creative instead.  I knew I had some time where I would be watching a research video for about 45 minutes.  What did I do?  I put my laptop up on my dresser top and jogged in place while I watched the video.  No I was not able to track my mileage, calories burned etc.  BUT I moved my body and it felt amazing.

There are so many little aches and pains that even a small amount of low intensity exercise can alleviate.  I am a real advocate for water fitness.  In fact, I will be receiving my certification in that area in a couple of weeks.  If you have access to a pool, try swimming some laps, treading water, and doing some squats in the water.  You will be surprised at how great of a workout you can get in the pool.

A lot of people think they cannot afford a fitness program.  It does not cost a thing to go for a nice walk.  Cannot afford weights for weight training?  Use a couple of canned goods from your kitchen and hold them and jog in place while you watch the news.  Try that one and then come back and tell me how you felt after doing that three times in a week.

There is always time and there MUST be time for yourself and for your health.  Always remember how much you are worth and how precious your health is to you and to those who love you.  I challenge you all, especially those who do not currently exercise regularly, to take my 21 day challenge and see if exercise becomes a habit.

THE CHALLENGE:

Pledge to move your body in some way for at least 15 minutes a day for 21 days.  Try to turn that 15 minutes into 30 three times a week.  Who is up for the challenge?  Leave your comment here saying you are committed and that will count as your pledge.  Then, each day, post your activity and after the 21 days, we will randomly choose one of you to win a Protein Prize Pack from The Bariatric Guru!  (one bag of Inspire Cinnamon Cappuccino, 3 bottles of Believe Vanilla Creme Brulee, and a sample of Bariatric Advantage Protein Elixir)

WHO IS IN???