My Love/Hate Relationship With Exercise

Okay, I'm admitting it loud and clear. I have a love/hate relationship with exercise. And I can't seem to resolve it...yet. 

When I was growing up, I loved being outside and playing in the sunshine. I liked running and jumping and skipping rope and riding my bike...but what I loved more was curling up on the sofa with a really good book. And that's always been my struggle. 

A few years ago, I made a concerted effort to get in shape. I wanted to stop worrying about my figure and focus on my health. I exercised every day, going to the gym and walking around the track listening to books on my iPod or working with a trainer who loved inventing new exercises for me. For two years, I was dedicated to my fitness.

And then a few things in my life changed. I got married and Leo and I were living together, and I discovered we had different rhythms about exercise. He prefers to exercise at night. I love getting up in the morning and working out first thing (maybe that's a girl thing - I don't care for washing my hair twice in one day, so I'd rather get up, work out, then shower for the day and get on with things). My business shifted and I got busier and somehow, exercise fell down the list of what was most important.

It's been a year and a half since I was really invested in my health and exercising regularly. And recently I've started to really notice how much I'm paying for that lack of attention to fitness. I've gained some weight and  I'm vain enough to say that I really don't like the way that new weight looks on me and I really don't care for how my clothes fit anymore. I don't have the feeling of power that I used to have, and though I never really felt that surge of energy that people claim they get when they exercise, I am getting tired faster and I don't have the endurance I used to have.

A couple of months ago, a fitness pro told me how important it is to exercise and get fit to be successful in your business. We talked about the benefits of exercise and nutrition for making your brain work faster and better, and for having more stamina for public speaking and client work. And I agreed with everything she said....and didn't do much about it. 

Leo and I have committed to each other that we're going to do something about this lack of fitness in our lives. We're researching options, learning what we can, and talking about what we need to do to get healthier. I'll be posting what we've learned and the steps we take in this blog...and maybe, just maybe, I'll find a way to evolve my relationship with exercise into a love/love dynamic. Stay tuned.