Most of us are notorious about focusing on what we don’t like about our bodies and what our bodies are not able to do at the moment. I totally get that. When I move in a way that causes pain that is a very real reminder that my body at this moment cannot handle that motion. (So don’t do it!) I could choose to focus on that or I could choose to focus on what I can do…which is a lot…and more and more every day as I get stronger and stronger. So focusing on what we can do right now in this body is important.
That being said we are going to be reaching for some new goals for our body. As we do what we can right now we are getting stronger and we will do more and more every day. Soon you will be amazed at what you can do that you only dreamt you would be able to do just a short time ago.
This is achieved by being both Optimistic and Realistic at the same time. We appreciate our bodies for what they can do now and we look forward to what the future will bring. We KNOW that by taking small steps today we WILL have a different body in the future. Our current body is part of the way we get there, so think of it as the beautiful thing it is.
When I first started the “Bounce and Shake” program a few years ago I literally could not do it even for 5 minutes without pain. So I got creative. I sat on the couch and moved my legs and arms. Some days I laid flat on my back on the bed in order to move my legs and arms. I found what I could do right then, realistically without hurting myself, and what I had time to do, and I made it manageable. I did not force myself to be like anyone else. I allowed myself the freedom to do it in my own way, based on my own abilities.
Start where you are. Then as you get stronger, more mobile, more flexible, then try different things. Be open to the idea that you WILL be able to do more in time. There is no restriction in how you move your body. Be creative, have fun with this. Moving your body should be energizing and easy, not exhausting and painful. Will you breathe hard? Will you be fatigued? Yes and yes…but only for a short time. Once you get in the habit (that is all it is) of moving your body consistently every day, you will find that when you don’t do it you are much more tired. This isn’t psychological…it is very physically real. When we get in better shape, more oxygen is flowing through our bodies. As the blood is pumping it is fueling our bodies. Our bodies become more efficient and our cells get the nutrients they need, so we truly do have more energy.
I’m often asked, “What are the best exercises for losing weight?” The answer is the exercises that you will do. You may have heard or believe there is a specific exercise or type that is better…but no exercise is any good if you won’t do it. So play with this, be easy on yourself, and find some ways to move your body that are fun and feel good for you.
And remember, you aren’t marrying the exercise. You can shift to a different type at any time. In fact, I recommend you have a variety of thing you like to do. That way you use more muscles and more of your brain too. Mixing it up makes it more fun and so it will be easier to stick to it.
And don’t over commit. What can you realistically commit to in terms of time every day? Do you have 15 minutes? Then commit to that. Better to do 15 minutes consistently and prove to yourself that you can do it, then to say you are going to do an hour and then you never get it done. Make it something you can manage…and then commit to getting it done.
