From www.weightwatchers.ca
By Christi Clifford 23/11/2005
We always have a reason not to exercise:
"I don't have enough time.""I'm tired." "It's raining." "I think I left the oven on."
Some days you just want to go home, put on your pajamas and sit in front of a warm, glowing television. Well, who says you have to sweat it out in the gym? You can burn calories in your own living room and you don't even have to miss your favourite TV shows! You've already blocked off Monday nights for "Corner Gas," all you have to do is make the most of that time by doing a little exercise.
What's the best part about working out in front of the TV? It takes your mind off working out! Follow these tips and take the advice of some of our online message board users to get started.
Get off your duff
Congratulations! You've made it off the couch. What now? The trick is to start small—but not so small that you're really just lying on the floor. Do some push-ups, sit-ups, jumping jacks, lunges, jog in place, dance or just stretch. Message board user FUNWIFE says, "It takes me about 20 to 30 minutes to do some toning each night." It may not sound like much but it's something, and you're sure to feel it the next day (in a good way). So after starting small, try turning it up a notch each week. Slowly increase the number of repetitions until you find an amount and an intensity level that you feel comfortable with.
Mix it up
Come up with a weekly schedule based around TV shows you watch regularly. For example, try weight training on Mondays, yoga or Pilates on Wednesdays, and ride the stationary bike on Saturday mornings. You could even vary your workouts within a single show. Start out by stretching while the program is on and doing some more vigorous exercises during commercials. Once you feel stronger, switch it around.
Prove your resourcefulness
You know that thing out in the garage under the stack of boxes? It's called a treadmill. Perhaps you haven't seen it since the 80's. It's easy to ignore out there, but just try to forget about it when it's in your living room.
Thirty minutes on a treadmill at the gym can seem like an epic tragedy, but if you're watching a favourite show, it can be a breeze. Before you know it you've walked a few miles!
And you don't have to have fancy gym equipment to get a good workout in your home. All it takes is a little imagination. Message board user deasmom says, "I like to use soup cans as weights and resistance training bands. March up and down your stairs, if you have them, or march in place." You can also use small (but weighty) household items like a dictionary, jugs of water or a bag of flour (just make sure these are tightly sealed) to strengthen your arms and back.
Channel-hop
The Outdoor Life Network and TSN air the aerobics show "The Caribbean Workout" several times each weekday across Canada. And if aerobics isn't your style, there are all varieties of exercise videos available from the library, video store, book store or internet. Message board user DAWNYA73 likes the "8 Minute Workout" series. It focuses on your abs, buns, thighs and arms. She says, "I'm bad at getting myself to do them but a couple of days ago I started getting up 15 minutes earlier in the mornings and doing the abs at least."
Indulge your inner couch potato and appease the health nut within you at the same time! Exercising has never been more convenient; just know that the time is there and make use of it. So tonight, instead of pajamas put on your gym clothes, turn on the television and get moving.
Monday, July 31, 2006
Monday, July 10, 2006
Choices
Life is full of choices. From the second you open your eyes to start your day, till the second you lie down and close them.
Today I made the choice to lay in bed, after I woke up and watch some TV. I could have jumped in the shower immediately.
I made a choice to get out of bed when the dog started whining to go out to pee. I could have stayed in bed and let him pee on the floor.
I made the choice to jump in the shower, so that when my kid called to say come pick her up, I was ready. I could have went to get her with bedhead and dirty.
I made the choice to sit here and blog. I could have done something domestic. And I also made the choice to have a chocolate bar and a couple cookies. WTF??
You see people come into the chatroom I go to asking, " Where do I find the motivation to exercise?" all the time, and I personally, am one of 'those' people that think you choose to, or you choose not to. You either make the choice to get up early and exercise, and watch your intake, or you don't. I was doing phenomenal with my choices, until an injury kicked me in the ass, and despite that the injury only affected one part of my program (albeit a major part for me, mentally) I totally let it shut down my entire program. I wimped out! Instead of making the choice to continue to watch my food intake, I made the choice NOT to watch it. I made the excuse. And essentially, in my opinion, an excuse is still that, YOUR CHOICE! Now, don't get me wrong, I totally accept responsibility for my choices. I don't eat some junk, then whine I ate the junk. Cause it was my choice to do so, and whining about it doesn't help the situation.It only makes you feel worse about it, again, IMHO, but it got me to thinking. What drives us to make the choices we do?
When I want to cross the street, I stop at the curb, and look both ways before crossing to ensure there is no car coming. Entirely my choice. I could just dodge out, without a thought, but I choose to look cause I don't want to get smooshed by a bus!
When I want my children to do well on a project or test, I help them with homework if they are unsure of things. I could choose to say tough, your problem. But I want them to succeed in life, and be proud of who and what they are.
We teach our children everyday about things to be careful of in todays world, to protect them. How to not only protect their physical self, but how to protect their mental and emotional health too.
So then why is it so hard to make the RIGHT choices for ourselves? When do we say, enough is enough? When do we say I don't want to live this way anymore, I don't want my kids to see me live this way anymore? Cause I know myself, personally speaking, do not want my kids to face this same battle. Luckily for me, my kids have a wider variety of likes, in the food department. This is something that definitely comes from my dear hubby. And I have definitely been trying to open myself up to new things, food-wise in the last few years. For that, I commend myself. I eat some foods now, that would totally shock my mother to death, if she was still alive.
Even tho we ( I ) know that some of my choices can definitely be having an impact on my life span, and the amount of time I have to spend with my kids, I STILL make the choice to hide those thoughts, deep down inside, and buy that bar, or those doritos. My question is why? Some might say, you are not ready then to lose it. And ultimately, maybe this is true. After all, wanting something simply isn't enough. You have to be willing to do the work required to GET what YOU want. So then, how do you get to that point? Does it take having to go up to a larger size clothes in the store? Does it take not being able to fit in a seat at a movie theater, or at a restaurant where there are booths, instead of chairs? Does it take being rushed to the hospital cause of some weight related condition? Do we need to have a heart attack or a stroke before we finally clue in, and get scared enough to CARE about ourselves? It took a heart attack and dying twice on the table, for my aunt to give up smoking. And this was a woman who was very physically active, very fit and skinny. Do I (we) really need to hit that point before we put ourselves first? Does a near death experience have to be the 'defining' moment? The straw that broke the camel's back? I have said, many times, when someone says how do I find the motivation to lose, that you have to get to the point of being sick and tired, of being sick and tired. But is it going to take me being sick and tired and damn near dead, to get there? That is a scary sobering thought.
You have to want this for yourself, that is a definite. But I also think the other people in your life are also a consideration.We shape our children's futures. And yes, once they reach a certain age, they have free will, freedom of choice, about what they do to their bodies, but is it so surprising, when all they have witnessed during their life, is us abusing ours, that they end up following in our footsteps? I don't want my legacy to my children being heart disease, diabetes, asthma, high blood pressure, etc. Yet, that all being said, I still am sitting here thinking of a DQ blizzard.
Food is my drug of choice. Plain and simple. Unfortunately, one can not live without it.. I had an old WW leader that put it best. A drug addict can give up drugs, and live. A smoker can give up smokes, and live. An alcoholic can give up booze, and live. But a food addict can not give up food and live. We have to learn to moderate our addiction, and quite simply, it is not easy. Anyone that has always been slim, can not totally comprehend this. They might say I am making excuses for the choices I make, and you are totally entitled to your opinion, but unless you have lived the life of an obese person, you have not got a clue. It is so much more then 'just put down the twinkies'.( and for the record, I have never had a twinkie)
Not sure what I am hoping to accomplish by writing all this? I guess I am in a babbling mood today, not sure why. But I would certainly welcome anyone's thoughts or persceptives on this issue.
Today I made the choice to lay in bed, after I woke up and watch some TV. I could have jumped in the shower immediately.
I made a choice to get out of bed when the dog started whining to go out to pee. I could have stayed in bed and let him pee on the floor.
I made the choice to jump in the shower, so that when my kid called to say come pick her up, I was ready. I could have went to get her with bedhead and dirty.
I made the choice to sit here and blog. I could have done something domestic. And I also made the choice to have a chocolate bar and a couple cookies. WTF??
You see people come into the chatroom I go to asking, " Where do I find the motivation to exercise?" all the time, and I personally, am one of 'those' people that think you choose to, or you choose not to. You either make the choice to get up early and exercise, and watch your intake, or you don't. I was doing phenomenal with my choices, until an injury kicked me in the ass, and despite that the injury only affected one part of my program (albeit a major part for me, mentally) I totally let it shut down my entire program. I wimped out! Instead of making the choice to continue to watch my food intake, I made the choice NOT to watch it. I made the excuse. And essentially, in my opinion, an excuse is still that, YOUR CHOICE! Now, don't get me wrong, I totally accept responsibility for my choices. I don't eat some junk, then whine I ate the junk. Cause it was my choice to do so, and whining about it doesn't help the situation.It only makes you feel worse about it, again, IMHO, but it got me to thinking. What drives us to make the choices we do?
When I want to cross the street, I stop at the curb, and look both ways before crossing to ensure there is no car coming. Entirely my choice. I could just dodge out, without a thought, but I choose to look cause I don't want to get smooshed by a bus!
When I want my children to do well on a project or test, I help them with homework if they are unsure of things. I could choose to say tough, your problem. But I want them to succeed in life, and be proud of who and what they are.
We teach our children everyday about things to be careful of in todays world, to protect them. How to not only protect their physical self, but how to protect their mental and emotional health too.
So then why is it so hard to make the RIGHT choices for ourselves? When do we say, enough is enough? When do we say I don't want to live this way anymore, I don't want my kids to see me live this way anymore? Cause I know myself, personally speaking, do not want my kids to face this same battle. Luckily for me, my kids have a wider variety of likes, in the food department. This is something that definitely comes from my dear hubby. And I have definitely been trying to open myself up to new things, food-wise in the last few years. For that, I commend myself. I eat some foods now, that would totally shock my mother to death, if she was still alive.
Even tho we ( I ) know that some of my choices can definitely be having an impact on my life span, and the amount of time I have to spend with my kids, I STILL make the choice to hide those thoughts, deep down inside, and buy that bar, or those doritos. My question is why? Some might say, you are not ready then to lose it. And ultimately, maybe this is true. After all, wanting something simply isn't enough. You have to be willing to do the work required to GET what YOU want. So then, how do you get to that point? Does it take having to go up to a larger size clothes in the store? Does it take not being able to fit in a seat at a movie theater, or at a restaurant where there are booths, instead of chairs? Does it take being rushed to the hospital cause of some weight related condition? Do we need to have a heart attack or a stroke before we finally clue in, and get scared enough to CARE about ourselves? It took a heart attack and dying twice on the table, for my aunt to give up smoking. And this was a woman who was very physically active, very fit and skinny. Do I (we) really need to hit that point before we put ourselves first? Does a near death experience have to be the 'defining' moment? The straw that broke the camel's back? I have said, many times, when someone says how do I find the motivation to lose, that you have to get to the point of being sick and tired, of being sick and tired. But is it going to take me being sick and tired and damn near dead, to get there? That is a scary sobering thought.
You have to want this for yourself, that is a definite. But I also think the other people in your life are also a consideration.We shape our children's futures. And yes, once they reach a certain age, they have free will, freedom of choice, about what they do to their bodies, but is it so surprising, when all they have witnessed during their life, is us abusing ours, that they end up following in our footsteps? I don't want my legacy to my children being heart disease, diabetes, asthma, high blood pressure, etc. Yet, that all being said, I still am sitting here thinking of a DQ blizzard.
Food is my drug of choice. Plain and simple. Unfortunately, one can not live without it.. I had an old WW leader that put it best. A drug addict can give up drugs, and live. A smoker can give up smokes, and live. An alcoholic can give up booze, and live. But a food addict can not give up food and live. We have to learn to moderate our addiction, and quite simply, it is not easy. Anyone that has always been slim, can not totally comprehend this. They might say I am making excuses for the choices I make, and you are totally entitled to your opinion, but unless you have lived the life of an obese person, you have not got a clue. It is so much more then 'just put down the twinkies'.( and for the record, I have never had a twinkie)
Not sure what I am hoping to accomplish by writing all this? I guess I am in a babbling mood today, not sure why. But I would certainly welcome anyone's thoughts or persceptives on this issue.
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