Make Exercise/Movement the Most Important Thing you Do Each Day

Here I am (Happy New Year) trying to motivate myself to eat better and move more rigorously. I've been a little uninspired during the holidays and now, the letdown. When that happens to me, I try to fill my head with as much positivity as I can, like listening to the ever popular Yale professor Dr. Laurie Santos' Happiness Lab podcast.

I wanted to share another inspiring podcast. It's an interview by Dr. Alyssa Kuhn, doctor of physical therapy, and osteoarthritis expert in her practice, Keep the Adventure Alive. She interviewed a woman who completely turned her life around in her late50s/early 60s and is now thriving in her 70s. She has dealt with weight gain and chronic osteoarthritis pain. She is now stronger than ever and going on all sorts of adventures.

WAIT. THAT'S ME! The interview was recently aired and as I listened to it, I actually inspired myself!

I want to be as motivated as the Mary who was interviewed last summer .

Do you ever feel like a split personality? As an adult, I've alway been challenged to be consistent in my health habits . . . at some point there were yoyo diets and exercising on and off. Thankfully, I don't do that anymore. But I do have spurts of eating worse or exercising less ardently. But here I am, January 4th, absolutely sure I'll get right back on track. It's not perfection I aim for here. It's self-care with an emphasis on regularly eating well, nurturing my inner life, and exercising. Positive input and remembering the other Marys will help me. So will "talking" to you about this.

It's an easier task to get back on track at this point in life because I don't allow myself to get too far off track for too long. For example, during the holidays, I never stopped exercising or moving, I just wasn't working out as rigorously. This is a commitment I made, back 15 or so years ago, when I "turned my life around." Back then I made a commitment to myself to exercise, to move in some way, six days a week. I decided to make exercise the most important thing I did each day. Most weeks I keep that commitment. This is huge in keeping me pointed in the direction I want to go. The important thing is, it's flexible. Any amount of exercise or movement can count. When I cleaned out my garage and took down the Christmas decorations, the 13,283 steps were it for the day. AND, when I need a break to watch movies on the couch, instead, I do it.

This morning I was really tempted to not exercise. But I made it the most important thing I did today. I talked to myself, made a mental list of choices. Since my motivation was low, I found a neighbor to walk with. A steep hill, a few miles, more than I would have done alone.

So, January, 2022, I'm ready to up the ante on my cardio and strength workouts and put them on the calendar, specific days and times. I'll eat less carbs, more vegetables, more protein. I know that three days into changing my eating, I'll have no regrets. With all that, I'll be more like the Mary in the interview :)

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Check out the interview wherever you listen to podcasts

The Adventuring with Osteoarthritis podcast.

Here's a link for Apple podcasts. "How Mary changed her life . . ."

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Find Alyssa on Instagram @adventurealive , Facebook Keeping Your Adventure Alive with Osteoarthritis and YouTube Keep the Adventure Alive.

Here's two workouts Alyssa and I offer on YouTube.

Mary and Alyssa Workout ONE

Mary and Alyssa Workout TWO

Mary and Alyssa Workout THREE

Mary and Alyssa Workout FOUR