We’ve had a deep, dark February so far in Eugene. It’s hard to motivate myself sometimes to get outdoors, or to exercise indoors even.
Here are some reasons to exercise that keep me motivated, in spite of the weather.
- Gives me more energy. Yep, I start out sluggish and end up energized.
- Keeps my joints in good condition. Along with drinking plenty of water, exercise is a great way to keep my joints pain free.
- Improves my balance. This is a good thing when I’m trying to do the Tree-pose in yoga. I wouldn’t want to fall over and cause the domino effect with the rest of the class.
- May slow bone loss. We’ve all heard the one about the woman who fell down and broke her hip and was never the same again. I don’t want that to happen to me. Weight bearing exercise can help prevent this from occurring.
- Builds my stamina. Being self-employed requires a lot of stamina. There are just soooo many things to do, so exercise helps me stick to it – well, most days.
- Tones and strengthens my muscles. This is a plus because it’s never a good thing when my short sleeves reveal saggy, flabby upper arms. My arms are not much on display right now, in the dead of winter, but, hey! summer’s coming, right?
- Boosts my confidence. This might be the best benefit of all. Along with helping me to cope better with stress, exercising helps me feel good about myself and my abilities.
There’s no need to join a gym, exercise an hour a day, feel sore, guilty, or overwhelmed. Start slowly if you don’t exercise currently. Four 5-minute walks a day adds up to 20-minutes of exercise. Doing a few stretches at your desk every hour is a great way to energize yourself at work throughout the day. Parking farther away at the grocery store (I know it’s raining), taking the stairs, even mopping the kitchen floor, are all ways to increase your level of exercise.
Before you know it, you’ll look forward to moving around regularly.
