Maybe you run marathons. Maybe you lift double your body weight. Maybe you’re on the top of the leaderboard for your favorite cycling class. But maybe, just maybe, you are more like me. You start sweating at the thought of a jog or feel sick to your stomach when you put on that cute workout outfit you hang up as a reminder to get to the gym.
Okay, so I might be exaggerating, but I certainly feel like a yoyo with my own personal health journey. But what I know, what we all know, is that exercise and heart health are so important for a healthy, balanced life. But the real question is how do we move beyond getting it done to enjoying exercise that we know benefits us all?
Shift Your Mindset
Well, the first step is shifting your mindset. Instead of “they do it better” or “look at her,” think about your own progress. When I started tracking my pace for walking, I could see the difference. The scale wasn’t changing, but I was moving faster, working harder, and breathing easier. I sped up my pace by 4 minutes in one month of tracking and comparing myself to myself—instead of comparing to the friend who walks faster than I “run” (yes, I say “run” since I cannot consider what I do as running, but it’s the closest I can get to running right now).
Find Something You Like To Do
Now that we’re no longer competing with our sisters, friends, and neighbors, we can focus on the activities. I spent years forcing myself to workout. I say forcing myself because it was just another chore. But now, while I still have those thoughts sometimes, I find activities I enjoy to keep my heart rate up. It’s amazing how finding the right activities for ourselves can make us realize taking care of ourselves can be fun. Initially, I found kickboxing to be that activity for me. It gave me a sense of community and was genuinely fun. I left sweaty and sore but I wasn’t counting down the seconds until it was over—aside from those burpees.
Involve Your Kids In Exercising
Kickboxing was great, but then I had my daughter. I returned to kickboxing, but I also found I needed new activities that could include my daughter. I started walking, hiking, and bike riding. I could carry her as an infant or push her in the stroller. Then as she grew, I included her in my walks. We ride bikes together. Now, we still do those things, but we also do videos together, have dance parties, and make a game out of exercise. Workout flashcards and coaching each other have been fun and healthy all-in-one. We also pair exercise with highly preferred activities. First, we hike the mountain and then we go to the playground.
Be Intentional With What You Do
I also think more intentionally about the things I do around the house. When I shovel in the winter, my fitness tracker reminds me that I’m exercising. When the weather is warm, gardening and yard work becomes another form of exercise. Being more aware and intentional in what I do, individually and with my daughter, has shown me how I build movement and exercise into my everyday. Whether it’s walking to the store or coffee shop instead of the short drive, coaching your child’s sports team, breaking up a 60-minute workout into three 20-minute sessions to fit it into a busy schedule, or taking up that martial arts or dance class as a family, taking steps to put yourself and your families health first is a must.
Find An Accountability Partner Or Community
Find a community or partner to be in your corner. Set up group activities. Push yourself and each other. Use the people around you to better yourself and let them do the same. Set a group goal for 100 sit-ups, push-ups, burpees, and squats. Work together to reach the goal so you can go at your own pace. Forget the competition and turn it into teamwork. Or plan a friendly competition—a family soccer game in the backyard can work up quite a sweat. Teach children the joy of physical activity. Encourage effort rather than being the best rather than discourage the activity if a child isn’t good at something.
