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Join me in my daily walk through the joys and struggles of parenthood. Share a word of encouragement or be encouraged. Cry a little, laugh a lot, but know it is all in divine order.

Friday, March 20, 2015

Fun Friday – spring into fitness – how to include exercise in your daily routine


The sun is shining, the air is warm, people are beginning to chant, “Spring is on the way, spring is on the way…” There are signs of spring all around, in fact during a recent visit to my local fitness center, all of the treadmills were occupied. This was a sure sign that people were ready spring into fitness by getting into shape for the warmer weather.
Have you ever said, “I’ll get in shape after the holidays” or “I don’t have time to work out?” Maybe those were my words as Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year celebrations came and went. Reality set in as I tip-toed onto the scale, hoping that would help my weight to register lower. It didn’t work. Nor did standing on one foot while maintaining a yoga pose.
I believe someone has given me their extra unwanted pounds and I desperately want to give them back. If you know who they belong to please have them claim their property. Until that happens WE can begin to change the way we look at exercise. I say WE, because I’d like company on this journey.
You may be wondering how you can include exercise in your daily routine when you are so busy. The key is to get up and get your body moving. Here are a few things I’ve found helpful.
1.      Play Hopscotch – draw a hopscotch grid on the sidewalk and get a game started with your child. If your child is not around, play anyway and if someone happens to see you, just pretend you’re waiting for your child or somebody’s child to join you. While out walking the other day, I walked past a hopscotch grid one of the kids from the neighborhood had drawn. No one was around as I took a turn at jumping over all the numbers on the grid. 

2.      While watching TV, get up and dance during the commercials - this could bring on a bout of hysterical laughter which in turn works your stomach muscles. I experienced this the other day as I danced in front of the mirror. I soon discovered that I was not keeping up with the beat as I thought I was. As I watched my mirror image, I was reminded of those foreign karate movies that are translated to English. You know the ones, where the actor’s lips are still moving after the voice has stopped. 
 
 

3.      Go for a walk after dinner – no explanation needed. 

4.      Housework – yes it’s the dreaded “H” word, but it works. Wash dishes by hand rather than using the dish washer; sweep the floor with a broom rather than use the vacuum. Fold a load of laundry. Okay, only use this tip if you absolutely can’t find another form of exercise. 

What other thing would you suggest as ways to add exercise to you daily routine?

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