The dreaded E word!
For more than two years now, I've got out of bed at least five mornings a week and headed straight to the gym. Do I enjoy it? - Not particularly! Yet I do miss it if I don't go for a few days.
All of my working out has been aerobic, which for the uninitiated means walking, running, or using the elyptical in my case. I'm pretty happy today because I achieved a personal best, running six miles in under 50 minutes for the first time - 49 minutes 28 seconds to be exact. While I was trying to stay focused on the treadmill this morning, I was waxing philosophical about the importance of working out.
Here's my accumulated wisdom on the subject -
1. If you push yourself too hard at the start, you probably won't keep it up.
2. You musn't be intimidated by the muscle-bound misfits around you.
3. Start by doing just what you can do.
When I was over 330lb, I walked one mile at 3mph - that was all I could do!!!
4. Keep pushing yourself a little more - at decent intervals.
I increased distance first, working up to walking for 60 minutes at 3.2mph. Then I started gradually increasing the pace and the incline until I was doing 4mph for an hour. I am talking about one year after I first started - that's how gradual it was.
5. You don't have to kill yourself to make it happen, you just have to be consistent.
6. Be sure to have something that distracts you from watching the time.
I love my IPOD, especially at the gym when I can spend 70-80 minutes listening to good music and sermons I've downloaded.
7. You need to have decent sneakers if you're going to work out seriously.
I hear that for runners, sneakers are dead after 300 miles. They may still look good, but the bounce has definitely gone. So splurge - you're worth it!
Exercise is an essential part of getting fit and staying healthy, but a sensible approach to it is necessary too.
