It's the New Year again! A time of renewal and positive actions. And yet are you feeling just a bit frazzled?
Have you had a little too much sugar this holiday season??? Does the house look like a disaster area after unwrapping all those presents and having toys underfoot? Need to release some pent-up energy after the in-laws departed?
Fear not, you tell yourself, this too shall pass, and life as I know it will return . . . Oh, but wait! It's a New Year - I'm supposed to strive toward a new and healthier attitude. Guilt sets in when you procrastinate.
Hmm, perhaps that's part of the problem. You're plain tired!!! All you want to do is get back to "normal" again. That means routine - which means it's couch potato time once again.
As tempting as it is to curl up under a pile of covers on a cold day! Resolve to make this coming year a truly positive and healthy one instead. (Drink green tea which energizes and assists in weight loss.)
Find family and friends who will involve you in healthier living. (Even if it's being accountable to someone over the phone.)
Conquer one challenge at a time. Keep it simple. Anything can become too complicated when one tries to do too much in a short allowance of time. Health takes time! Relax and get your support base together and that means a fun family exercise.
Without proper exercise, we're only spinning our wheels and we'll never lose that holiday season weight. Muscle is the furnace that burns fat. That's why exercise should be a daily personal routine. Find something you enjoy as exercise: dancing, walking, pickleball, snowshoeing, or building a snow fort with the kids.
Now I can hear you sigh, "You mean I have to exercise every day?"
"Oh dear," I reply. "You mean I have to brush my teeth every day?"
Yes. That is unless you enjoy rotting teeth and bad breath. You choose to brush your teeth each day because the payoff is better than the alternative. Same as health.
And who said exercise needs to be dull? Make exercise fun first of all, and then incorporate different types of exercise into your daily routine so you don't get bored. Just like a well-rounded, varied daily diet! I couldn't eat one type of food forever, could you? Each food contains different vital nutrients. Same as various exercises that assist with firming up different body parts.
Variety really is the spice of life. Did you get an exercise video for Christmas? Use it as a family! Did you get snowed in and couldn't get to work or school? Sledding, walking, swimming, skiing, – it's all exercise. Each exercise works for different muscle groups just as nutrients provide different metabolic benefits as well. Therefore, we need variety.
To enjoy life; relationships, exercise, food, as well as your occupation should be satisfying. Look forward to family exercise as much as you do sitting down and watching the game on television. Think of the happy memories you'll create. There's always an upside!
Children will remember the times they exercised as a family and enjoyed the fellowship. That's a wonderful heritage to pass along.
"Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one's youth. Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them! He shall not be put to shame when he speaks with his enemies in the gate." Psalm 127: 3-5 (ESV)
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