Let’s get into Shape!

I have to exercise in the morning before my brain figures out what I'm doing.  ~Marsha Doble 

Bear with me today, because it will sound like I'm bragging, but I do have a point.  Fourteen months into a daily calisthenics routine have resulted in my being in the best physical condition of the last twenty years, and maybe my entire life.  When I began, I was doing around 200 jumping jacks and 100 push-ups over a thirty minute period.  I am now averaging between 400-500 jumping jacks and 200 push-ups in around twenty to thirty minutes.  I have also added to this routine a set of crunches and lunges.  My two younger sons, ages seventeen and nineteen, have watched all of this with great amusement and what I hope is a sense of pride that their dad, at the age of 49, can drop to the floor and crank off forty push-ups.  Believe when I say that fourteen months ago I would not have thought that possible. 

Mornings appear to work the best time for my work-out, but it seems that I have greater endurance in the evening.  Some reading on the subject has suggested late afternoon is the optimum time for a work-out.  However, my schedule rarely works with this time frame.   

The main point of all this today is to say that if I can begin an exercise program and continue it for fourteen months, then I am certain you can as well.  Many days I do not feel like exercising, but I continue to daily push myself to do so.  The results have been remarkable.  My mood is brighter, my stress level is down, I have more energy and focus, and I feel more confident throughout the day.  As an added bonus, I have noticed that in the last fourteen months I have not had a serious flu or cold.  This may be the result of practicing my daily work-out outside in any and all weather.  Still not convinced?  Try these suggestions:

• Start out slowly with an exercise routine you can enjoy such as walking or bike riding.  Add to your distance over a period of time. 

• Block off time each day for a period of exercise.  When we make something a priority and practice it for an extended period, it then becomes a regular part of our daily routine. 

• View exercise as a form of free and helpful therapy.  I know what it’s like to struggle with depression and I remain firmly convinced that daily exercise is a wonderful way to manage and overcome it.
  

• Explore daily prayer and Bible reading as an added means of coping with depression, sadness, or the blues.  You have nothing to lose and everything to gain by looking to Jesus Christ as Savior. 

As always, check with your doctor before beginning any new exercise program. 

One last item; how are your eating habits these days?  Come back Friday for some suggestions. 

It’s going to be a great day!