Ashley from After Nine to Five and i are hosting the Living the Right Life series to share how we are making changes in our lives to bring true happiness and joy. we also are opening it up to all of you to link up your own thoughts and feelings of how you are living the right life for you!
i never really been one to have a hardcore workout regimen.
i don’t run miles and miles everyday, i don’t wake up at the crack of dawn to go to the gym, i don’t do yoga on the top of mountains that i climbed.
mainly because i’m pretty much the laziest person ever.
in high school i could get away with it because of PE and higher metabolism.
plus i didn’t have any other responsibilities outside of homework so i could just go home and sleep when i didn’t have energy.
but after having Elijah i’ve realized how completely out of shape i am.
i have no energy, i get tired carrying Eli up the stairs, i don’t feel good about myself/my body most days, and i can’t just sleep anytime i want to like when i was 17.
Adam knows this about me so has tried to encourage me to work out a little bit, even just doing some yoga or Wii Fit. and like any normal woman would do when their husband gently encourages them to work out i said,
“SO YOU THINK I’M FAT!?!?!”
that’s a normal reaction right?
but i knew that’s not what he meant.
i knew he was just trying to help me get my energy back because i have seen how much happier he is when he goes running in the mornings and works out at night.
but being the lazy person i am i refused to give in.
when i started going to therapy, i told my counselor about how i felt and how tired i was most days.
he told me that one of the best ways to combat depression & anxiety was to get up, get moving, and get outside.
so that’s what i’ve been trying to do.
i go through waves.
sometimes me and Elijah go on a walk multiple times a week, sometimes we stay inside all day.
sometimes i pull out my old cheesy yoga video and start doing downward dog, sometimes i sit around.
but i’ve noticed that when i really make an effort to get moving, even just doing simple things, my days go SO much better!
i’m happier.
i have more patience.
i have more energy.
i get more things done.
and i overall feel a lot better about myself.
it has also helped that i’ve tried to get Elijah involved in my routine as much as possible.
so now every morning he reminds me that it’s time for Wii Fit and we pull it out together.
it’s a nice little reminder that i need to be more active
{or can be annoying on days where i just really don’t want to do it!}
and it’s a fun time for us to bond and play together.
my goal this summer is to fix up a jogging stroller we were given and go on more vigorous walks
[cause running really doesn’t entice me]
and to get out in nature more with Elijah.
i know that this will help me a lot with my own emotions but also help Eli be happier and healthier.
what are some ways you stay in shape?
my ways are pretty simple but definitely have made a difference!
11 comments:
hey lady i am the same way.
i'm naturally thinner & i don't love working out. and I'm married to a runner... a MARATHON runner. like whaaa?
anyway. when i do work out it's cuz I need that boost. endorphins DO help you w/ anxiety & depression and that's something I struggle with. I hate getting going but it's so worth it once I do.
My suggestion? do little things! dance with elijah! go on long walks with him in the stroller, or when he can ride a trike, you run, he rides. do weights and have him "lift" things too. I don't know-- I think if you approach it not as a weight thing but as a life thing-- like you need this to make you feel better-- you may have an easier time of it. :)
I loathe working out but it makes me feel amazing. The best I've ever felt was when I was doing the 30 Day Shred everyday. I was in pretty decent shape! Then I got pregnant and we had an incredibly hot summer so I got lazy. That laziness has continued unfortunately. I need to get back into a workout program and my back is still tender so I can't do anything hard core. I like to take Max for walks or do yoga. I also dance around the house all the time, that is a workout, right?
I tend to be either all in, or all out when it comes to working out. But what I do know, is it helps IMMENSELY with my depression battles.. it's so worth it. That said, I am currently in the midst of a wave of depression and I'm fighting to make myself get out and be active to try and combat it. It's been a losing battle for weeks. I'm hoping today is the day. :) Your post is reminding me.. to DO IT! Thanks. :)
I do like to run, so maybe this isn't the best advice, but train for a race! I love finishing a race! It builds your confidence so much to stick to a training schedule and complete the race at the end.
You go girl! It is CRAZY how different my days are when I workout or skip working out. I'm definitely happier when I work out.... even if it's just a quick one. Going to classes help so much! I actually get my heart rate up when someone else is in charge of my work out :) Or signing up for a race! I started running last summer and once I hit 2 miles I refused to go further... so I signed up for a 10k. (I wasn't in town to run any of the 5k's) and it really got me going! I felt so powerful to know that if I want to run? I could! Those are a couple things that help me!
i hit a yoga class today. i try to get there a few times a week... it truly is amazing how much better i feel inside and out when i go. as mom's we need time for ourselves, to regenerate, so that we can be good mommies! if i don't exercise, i literally become unglued. the silliest things make me lose my cool. so hard to do, but BALANCE between being a wife, mom and YOURSELF is so important! keep taking care of YOU! :)
I signed up for a race and that has healped me to have a deadline. I'm running 4.2 miles in 1.5 weeks! I'm excited but really nervous. I alternate running/walking and doing workout videos. I also have a friend that I run with which keeps me motivated. As far as workout videos, I really love Jillian Michaels videos. She's kind of annoying, haha, but her workouts are only 20 minutes and I feel like I get a really good workout. Of course, you still have to switch it up though. I got 30 day shred on amazon for like $9. I don't have more energy or am more productive when I workout like a lot of people talk about, but I do it because I know it's good for me and I feel more confident. And I don't want to shoot my husband ;) you're quoting legally blonde right? because if you weren't that could be really awkward.
"So you think I'm fat." Yes. Yes that is a normal reaction. I resent being told I need to be more active, even when I know it's the truth. (Maybe that's why I hate being told it . . . no one likes to hear truth they've been ignoring.) Like you, I've been trying to be a little more active this spring. Not saying I'll be running a marathon any day now, but hey, I might surprise myself.
I almost don't want to comment on this post for fear of jinxing myself, but I've just started getting myself back into trying to exercise on a regular basis. I started out just doing a stretch routine that I remember doing at the beginning of my dance classes as a teenager and following the plans at http://hundredpushups.com and http://www.twohundredsitups.com. I got really bored with the situps one pretty quick, so I've started swapping that out for some of the free ab workout videos they have on SparkPeople.com which are a little more varied. I also walk a ton because I live in the city and my feet are my primary mode of transportation. Now that it's gotten warm, I tend to opt to walk over taking the subway short distances if I have the time.
Anytime I hear "endorphins make you happy" I hear it in Elle Woods' voice. It's kind of a vicious cycle for me... I feel bad about myself so I don't want to work out, even when I know that working out will make me feel good about myself. The thing that really helps me is having a friend who will motivate me. I promised her I'd be at the gym so I need to be there. I just don't let myself cancel and then it works out great :)
when we lived in utah, i went to zumba twice a week at a place called sweaty chix fitness. super lame name i know. haha but they have a place down in springville and it's 20 bucks a month for unlimited classes. i loved going because levi would come home and i would get out of the house by myself or with a friend. plus, the girls that teach it are fabulous. i would highly recommend going there if you're looking for motivation. they have tons of classes you can do besides zumba like yoga and toning and stuff too. working out at home doesn't work for me, so that was great until we moved. =) good luck!
Post a Comment