Get off the treadmill

So I guess I should share that I dislike exercise intensely. Although over the years I’ve done my share of aerobics, water aerobics, gym classes etc.I know all the statistics and I understand why the body needs it but I believe

that exercise can come in many forms and you don’t have to go to the gym and get on a machine to be exercising. The King and I often have this discussion, sometimes heated, because I disagree that the only way to get the “proper” exercise is on all those torture machines we pay to get on in a room with no windows and lots of other sweaty people- UM , PASS.

I’m very active, I like to walk, I can walk for hours. I get a pace going, enough so as my heart rate is up so I can still talk but it’s harder and from what I’ve read that’s all that is required is 30 minutes a day of elevated heart rate. I do that just taking the kids to and from school, add in the dog’s minimum walk and I’m done. Although some days I feel like doing more.

Last week I walked over to Riverside park with Sir Lickalot, it was a 70 minute round trip. So lovely to walk in the park by the river. I felt invigorated when we got back but Sir Lickalot didn’t move  from this spot for 4 hours! Poor little puppy. 🙂
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I try to incorporate exercise into whatever I’m doing then I don’t feel like its a chore and I have technically worked out. You can’t tell me that mopping and vacuuming aren’t a form of working out.

Of course if you want to tone muscles or sculpt your body then there are specific and different things you need to do but I’m not into any of that. I’ll take the headphones, the dog and a nice big park anytime. Hills and stairs count as extra.

June 9th 2012 is National Get Outdoors Day. Let’s take our exercise outside, not on a running machine in a gym with the news or stockmarket report yelling at you from a tv screen.

Reconnect with nature, breathe in the fresh un-airconditioned or overheated air, get the sunshine on your skin, which has been proven to be a deterrent for disease. Pretend for a moment that our lives aren’t so stressful, over scheduled and filled with modern day pressures.

When I do this, the stress just melts away and I get a new spring in my step, feel reconnected with nature and my human spirit, even if only for a while.

 

 

 

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