Exercise For Your Life

I hope you all have had a great time meeting yourself where you are right now. Isn't it so great to experience life in the "precious present" instead of letting the past bog you down? If you missed my first blog about meeting yourself where you are today, you can read it here. I know I'm being a bit optimistic about letting the past go, because in reality, it's a lot harder than it seems. Below are three helpful hints to keep you on the right track to exercising for your LIFE. 

1. Experiment to find what works for you. I once had a person tell me that he joined a gym and tried every single class the gym offered, in order to find what type of exercising worked best for him. I'm not saying that all of you need to do this, but the man has a point. I can't use running as my sole form of exercise anymore because I have too many aches and pains from running in my youth. I still run, but I do it along with other things. I love kickboxing when I'm ticked off. Nothing blows off steam like kicking and punching for an hour. Yoga really helps to relieve stress and relax me, and P90X is a great way for me to still be competitive with myself. Experiment with different kinds of exercise to find what you enjoy, otherwise you won't be able to stick with it.

2. Work with what you have. If you only have 30 minutes to exercise in a day, that's ok, you just have to find a workout that is only 30 minutes. If you have little kids that won't leave you alone for one second, include them in your exercise. Park far away so that you have to walk across the parking lot instead of parking close, if that is all you can manage in a day, that is ok. If you hate working out in the frigid winter weather, find something you can do inside instead of forcing yourself to go outside anyways. Let's be honest, by February, you will have quit going outside, so you might as well find something to do inside. Whatever your obstacle is that is keeping you from working out, decide today to get ride of it. Instead, work with what you DO have.

3. Celebrate every victory.
It's so easy for us to look back on yesterday and beat ourselves up for all the things we didn't do. Instead, focus on what you did accomplish. If you want to lose 100 pounds, celebrate every single pound that comes off. Don't say, well I lost 5 pounds, but who cares because I'm still 95 pounds heavier than I want to be. Instead, say I am five pounds lighter than I was, and I'm five pounds closer to my goal. Every single time you exercise, take a moment when you finish to acknowledge it. Remind yourself that you are exercising for your life. Celebrate the fact that you are exercising for your life.

No matter where you are today, I hope that you start to focus on where you're going. Take advantage of what you do have, so that you can celebrate every victory along the way. For more information make sure to visit my website www.abbyshroka.com. For daily tips on healthy living and exercise, follow me on twitter @Abby_Shroka

Wishing you all health, hope, & happiness
Abby