Every New Year we all make resolutions to get healthy, whether it is eating healthy or vowing to go to the gym more often. I have been there and I know that most of us do not follow through with our plans.
We all have great intentions of following through with creating the “NEW” you for the year, we go to the gym or swimming and we pick up those bags of salad kits and we feel great about ourselves for at least taking charge of our lives and getting healthy; and this is the first week.
The second week we tend to skip a day at the gym because we plan on eating something really healthy for dinner and that evens things out, right?
Then the one day skipped turns into two days skipped and so on and so on.
You still have to pay the gym fees even when you do not go, so why start going in the first place? I know of a fitness area that is close by for everyone and it does not have any fees to use it. Would you like to know my secret fitness area?
The only thing you must buy to use this fitness area (or you may already have them) is a comfortable pair of shoes. The Club can be used by anyone of any ability and you can use it free of charge 24/7 all year long.
It might scare you to know that using my favorite fitness area has more health benefits than actually going to the gym and a lot less sweaty people in the changing rooms as well.
I bet you have a fitness area like I do in your neighborhood, unless you live on Mars then I am not too sure, it is right outside your front door! Yes I am talking about the trails and sidewalks that get used daily in your area and no one even thinks that they can help you lose weight or get healthy. More people would use the free fitness areas if they came with a brand name tag on them or were enclosed in a glass house.
The benefits of walking or running outside are you get your daily dose of vitamin D from the sun (yes it can even squeak through those cloudy days) and you get to see your neighborhood which you have probably only driven past. Did you notice that the house two doors down had installed a water fountain in their front yard? Or how about the house on the corner that they added on to?
People are all about getting healthy yet most of that involves driving to somewhere. I say forget the gyms and health spas and lets get moving the way our ancestors used to before Gyms came around by walking.
I love to walk and even though I am over weight it isn’t because I eat too much, its because I am not getting out there and making use of my local free fitness area, but that is about to change.
I am taking my mom up on her offer of a “365 Day Walking Challenge”. I have always loved a challenge and this is one that has really got me motivated, in more ways than one! Before my mom put this challenge forward to me I was challenged by three other people to do different 365 Day challenges, so I can incorporate the other three into my walking and complete each one daily. The other three incase you are wondering are: 365 Geocaching, 365 Writing Challenge, and a 365 Photo Challenge.
Now back to my original thought - walking! I know some people have a hard time walking but believe me no matter what your size is, you can walk around the block.
A good friend of mine was so overweight that she couldn’t go to the gym to lose weight and she had trouble walking. I sat her down and told her to quit feeling sorry for herself and that I would help her as much as I could. I proceeded to tell her that we were going to walk around the block together, but not today or tomorrow! I wanted her to be able to get some freedom from only sitting in the house or sitting in the car, so we started slowly by walking to the end of the driveway and back! It doesn’t sound like a lot I know, but to her it was the equivalent of walking a kilometer! We did that every day and soon she wanted to walk around the “small block” with me.
I am proving that no matter how overweight you are you can make baby steps and then more baby steps and before you know it you will be making toddler tracks and then adolescence advances etc!
It doesn’t matter how many steps you take as long as you get that body moving, even if it is slow to start with! If you can’t bend down to tie your shoes, wear slip on shoes! If you are thinking up an excuse not to go for a walk, I can counter with many more reasons why you should go for a walk!! If I can do it then I know YOU can as well. Lets get moving and make this the year that we do not waste our money on gym fees and get out in the fresh air and walk our way to better health!
My Walking Club is getting fit this year with plenty of Vitamin D and worn out shoes! Come and join me if you would like!
© 2011 7LadyBugs
January 05, 2011
No comments:
Post a Comment