Healthy J?

I am on my way to becoming Healthy J. I am 25 years old and unhealthy. I am determined to change my lifestyle. I will endure a greater amount of physical activity on a daily basis. Dietary needs will be met but not in excess. I enjoy having a good time and entertaining friends and this lifestyle change will not change that. I will learn to enjoy the sweet joys of life and become a healthy individual.

Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Finding an Exercise You Enjoy

When thinking about hitting it hard and really working to take off some weight or even just define your body and get in shape it is so important to do something that you enjoy.  I have heard this type thing over and over for years.  It has not really set in until recently.  I mentioned the other day that I had ordered a swim suit online and was awaiting its arrival.  Both of the suits that I ordered came in before the estimated date of arrival!  (That is always an unexpected surprise.)  They are both really the same suit, just one is blue and one is black.  For the price and wear I hope that it gets it is just a good idea to have two.

I have actually been able to go for a couple of swims in the past week.  In the future I hope to be able to go up to 3 or 4 times a week.  When I was growing up I swam competitively for most of my childhood.  When I was in the pool, even competing and practicing it never felt like I was working.  Now that I am back in the pool and swimming regularly for the first time in about 12 years I don't understand why I stopped in the first place.  I know that I stopped early on in high school just because of school commitments, but I should have stuck with it and made it a priority.  Since I can't change the past I can only hope to stick with swimming for the future.

When you find an activity that you enjoy it is important to stay with it.  There are many different activities that will help to keep you toned and in shape and not feel like you are working out.  Some people enjoy walking in the woods, roller-blading, bicycling, canoeing, swimming, volleyball, baseball, basketball, football, gymnastics, and the list goes on and on and on.  If you are taking part in something that you enjoy you will just concentrate on that activity and not on  the exercise aspects.  The length of time and effort put forth to complete the activity is sometimes the portion that people focus on when exercising.  If you are doing an activity that you like and is more like a sport or something enjoyable you concentrate on the whole of the activity and don't view it as a chore.

A few weeks ago I tried to do some more routine exercises and they just didn't really work for me.  I went walking a few mornings a week for a few weeks.  This is something that I didn't mind, but I got a little bored with that.  I do still like to get out and walk around before the rest of the town comes to life and plan to continue to do that when the weather permits (and I am actually in the mood to wake up early).  I also went to the gym one morning to try that out.  I HATE the gym.  It seems like it takes me forever to go the same distance on a treadmill that doesn't anytime at all when I am walking outside.  I don't like having to wipe down machines and just be around other people when I am working out.  I am a very social person and when I am working out I don't want to be distracted with smiling and making nice gestures to strangers.  If I am in the pool it really limits socialization unless I want to socialize.

Swimming is that activity for me.  I enjoy swimming and don't feel like it is a chore.  I hope that everyone really thinks about something that they like to do and look forward to doing that will improve their health.  Always be sure to practice safely when starting a new workout regimen.  Have fun!

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