Finding Your Activity Path

It’s 8 a.m. on a cloudy, early summer day. I lace up my sneakers, make sure my headphones are charged and head out into the streets of my neighborhood. This is the way I have started nearly every day for the past four or five years. My morning workout (usually a walk but occasionally a spin class or physical training session) rejuvenates me and gets me pumped to take on the day.

I know that a morning walk isn’t for everyone, but finding a path toward being a more active (and thereby healthier) person is one of the best decisions I made. When my children were in middle and high school, I woke up one day and noticed that the slender waist I had during my 20s had slowly gotten a bit bigger…bit by bit. So I went on a little bit of a mindful eating journey and realized that I needed to get some sort of movement back in my life. It’s easy to sit at a desk all day and seldom move so I found a couple of things that helped during my journey.

Just begin…and begin again

One of the hardest things to start a new habit is just that starting it! The author of Atomic Habits, James Clear, wrote in a recent blog post to “make it [the new habit] easy enough that you can get it done without motivation”. Once you start with something small (try “I’m going to lace up my sneakers” instead of “I’m going to run 2 miles”), that builds a sense of accomplishment and propels you forward to the next day/bigger habit.

Do Something You ENJOY!

I am always down to try something new whether it’s a new restaurant, trying a new way home, or a new pair of shoes! And sometimes those things stick – the new restaurant becomes a favorite. But through the new things, there are times when I realize it’s not a good fit. I don’t enjoy Zumba very much but for some people, it’s their favorite workout. All that to say, try something new and see how it goes….but through that process, keep a list of what you like and don’t like about various activities. Was it crowded? Did the music not mesh with your taste? And conversely, keep track of what you really enjoy. Did you run into an old friend in the class? Did you discover a new trail?

Be Consistent

Every New Year, I hear someone say this is the year they’ll start working out. Or, this is the year I organize my home Marie Kondo style. I love a good goal, please believe me, but there is something about New Year resolutions that lack consistency for a lot of us. It is never too late in the year to start anew! Make a small goal for your fitness that fits within being a S.M.A.R.T. goal (e.g. specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and time sensitive.

Let me know what physical activities you enjoy or want to try below and let’s commit to being our healthiest selves!