As I vow to start exercising again, I dredged up an older post from my first blog My Life In The Fat Suit. How funny it is that some things…just stay the same!
Exercise has always been my archnemesis. Working out has a way of making me feel better and worse about myself simultaneously. We all know the drill….calories in balanced with calories out. I have tried a variety of cardiovascular pursuits and have come to one conclusion….I need to eat less.
First there was yoga. Stretch your body in an assortment of poses – most resembling an animal…or a piece of furniture. This would be where the problem arose. In a room of tables, I was the only ottoman. While the wispy women in the front were doing tree…I was doing overgrown shrub. Ignorance to how I looked was impossible. Mirrors were everywhere. It confirmed in my mind that an apple can never be a tree.
Next came kick-boxing…taught by Hitler’s descendant. I’ve been surrounded by males my whole life (3 brothers and 3 sons) so it seemed to fit my somewhat aggressive nature. I jumped, kicked and got my heart rate to a level that seemed incompatible with life. After five minutes, I had three choices…a) Throw up on the floor b) pass out or c) crawl towards the door and find a cylinder of oxygen. Option three seemed the least disruptive to the class.
Swimming taught me that fat does float. If my cruise ship goes down…I will survive…unless everyone discovers my secret and uses me for a life boat. Unfortunately, I was not raised around pools so my swimming does resemble a drowning victim. My fear of water did seem to impede the circulatory benefits.
Exercise Boot Camp taught me that I work harder with someone yelling at me. I was finally able to run ½ mile without stopping….other than to assure people that I didn’t need their inhaler. Apparently I sound quite asthmatic while running. I gave it up…not for myself….but for those running behind me with a nebulizer.
My latest exercise attempt is at home…on my treadmill. No mirrors. No one to compare myself to. Just me. This would be the issue. “Me” is not very good at motivating “me” to work out. I used the treadmill religiously for about…two weeks. I am now trying to convince my husband that it is a piece of modern art inspired by our health consumed society. He’s not buying it.
So what’s next? I’m determined to find the activity for me. I’m open to ideas. How about Zumba? With enough room, a middle aged Caucasian woman with no rhythm can dance…right? I have to keep searching. In a world of calories in equaling calories out, I enjoy a glass of wine more than I enjoy the finer things of life….like dignity.
Mothering, Marriage and Menopause 
I became VERY active in my 30’s and 40’s. I hit my physical peak with martial arts, biking and numerous other activities. Where I once had a fire to move, now I’m just exhausted after work. It’s a wicked life style we must live (work to pay the bills) 😉 . Keep looking. Something will grab your exercising attention!
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Thank you for the advice! When no one is looking, I’m starting to just dance in the work out room and then hit the punching bag. It’s not pretty but does get my heartrate up…and the the hitting something, oddly enough, reduces my stress levels!
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That is a VERY good way to get some stress relief AND exercise 🙂
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I set up my treadmill so I could use my laptop on it. If I want to read blogs or watch an episode of something I have to walk on the treadmill while I do it. Most days it is pretty easy to get 10k steps in.
As soon as I get the all clear from my doctor (From surgery in July) I want to start doing the Power of 10. You only have to exercise once or twice a week for about 30 minutes. You do all the exercises really slow and exhaust your muscles. I learned about it from Gretchen Rubin. We’ll see how that goes.
You just have to keep trying different things until you find something you like, or at least don’t completely hate. Good luck!
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Thank you! I’ll look up the method! I’ll see how I can set up my treadmill that way also…I’m not sure if I’m coordinated enough read and walk but the fear of falling might be enough to raise my heart rate. Thank you for the response!
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https://traceyr1984.house/2015/04/09/treadmill-computer-desk/ here is a post about my treadmill. I no longer use the separate keyboard or the surf shelf, I just put my laptop on the foam boards.
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I so relate to this. I’ve tried many of them and because they made me feel exhausted or unequal to the challenge, I stopped. This is bad. But recently I’ve been trying to lose weight, and I have a lot of it to lose. A friend suggested walking. Just walking. I was bored out of my mind. Then I decided it might be a good excuse to have Walter practice his heeling. Suddenly I was less bored and I walked further. I don’t do nearly enough of it, but that’s my plan when I extricate myself from this couch!
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That is exactly what my MD just recommended. Just walk…or do something simple that relaxes you. I’m sure Eric would be willing to let me walk the dogs with him, although lately, it may be his only break from me!
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Haha! I bet the dogs would love to be walked twice a day. Then you can both have some spouseless time.
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Oh, man – you are taking away all of my excuses!! 😉
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Hehe
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You have to find what’s right for you and there are so many options and varieties to choose from. Have you ever tried a virtual training program or group training? Remember lifitng weights (even light weights) burns fat and creates lean muscle tone! Check me out if you ever want to try a virtual plan! #abercrombiefitness xo
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