so what about exercising?

I blogged a few weeks back about my "Spring Break Exercise Challenge" (described here). Initially, I was looking forward to checking in sooner, reporting on how the week-and-a-half went afterward, but something amazing happened: I never stopped exercising!

Nobody could be more surprised about this than I - my disdain for the gym is no small secret, and I avoided regular exercise throughout my weight loss and for more than two years at my goal weight, mostly due to issues related to lack of time and of interest. I had always exercised sometimes, very inconsistently, but never seemed to discover what would turn the occasional recreational outing into a regular part of my lifestyle.

Magic happened over spring break, however. Getting out daily for a while turned exercise into a habit for me - I don't do it every day, but now it's a part of my consistent part of my life (like drinking!). I just don't feel like I've had a great week unless I've been able to make it out to the mountains for to the basketball courts at least a couple times. Turns out that all I really needed was to find that initial motivation to move more, and the habit building took care of itself.

Like so many things in weight loss and in life, habit building is essential to making exercise a part of your life long-term, beyond that initial burst of motivation that we all get from time to time. I suppose the most important morsel of knowledge I gleaned from my exercise challenge is this:

When you attack a problem head on, making a clear, achievable goal and working it through to success, you've already taken the hardest step towards successful, sustainable habit-building.

That having been said, I look forward to balling my way to the biceps of my dreams ...



I'll let you know how that goes.

the gym

In light of both my exercise pledge and my earlier allusion to my disdain for the gym, now's as good a time as ever to explain why exactly I prefer to exercise in the great outdoors. It's a combination of two factors: I love nature, and I can't stand the gym environment. Whether you're like me, or exactly the opposite (you can't wait to jump on the treadmill at Bally's), one thing is for sure: getting regular exercise is a lot easier if it's on your terms.

As far as I'm concerned, there's nothing more beautiful than the world around us. I love the breeze, the trees, the grass - the everchanging scenery of the outdoors makes exercise infinitely more enjoyable for me. Conversely, the gym triggers the exact opposite response in me. I'm not sure why exactly, but it just seems boring to walk on a conveyor belt watching closed-captioned MSNBC.

My goal to exercise daily over my Spring Break has helped me realize how much my enjoyment of an exercise impacts my inclination to sustain it. The moral of the story: You want to exercise more? Make sure you love what you're doing!

See you on the mountaintop!

My Spring Break Exercise Pledge

" I hereby pledge to engage in significant physical activity daily for the duration of my Spring Break (3/26-4/4) "

This endeavor has been a long time coming - despite my affinity for outdoor exercise, I've rarely committed to regular athletic recreation, and even on those occasions, only for short periods of time. I've got some goals to accomplish now, however, so I'm trying to keep my focus on what's important to me:

1. Staying trim (losing weight is too much work to allow myself to gain much back)
2. Feeling fit (who wouldn't want to feel like they're in peak physical condition?)
3. Improving my tan (I've never minded looking a little bronzed!)

So far, I've done pretty well, playing some basketball, going on a 2 1/2 hour hike in a local park, playing lots of drums (my favorite), and my crowning achievement this weekend: a 37-mile bike ride from my house to the coast, then pedaling down the beach from Playa del Rey to Torrance.

I've learned that there are two key elements to success in any endeavor I undertake: clarity in purpose (setting specific goals), and making the task at hand more enjoyable. My goal is clear, my motivation is clear, and, to avoid wrestling with my strong antipathy towards the gym, I've decided to focus on engaging in outdoor recreational activities that keep my interest and are enjoyable to me - especially with friends!

























Since activity is squarely in my sights this week, I look forward to making movement happen! If there's something you want to get done for yourself, try doing the same thing: set up a clear goal to do over a short time (a day or two, or a week, is fine). The result may surprise you!

Well, I'm back off to my drumkit ... I'll keep you posted on my results. In the meantime, happy trails!