
Let’s get back to our exercise discussion. A couple of days ago, I read an article about creating positive change that was very wise. How to Change When Change is Hard. It’s an excellent article all the way through, citing some intriguing examples.
Find a bright spot and clone it.
That’s the first step to fixing everything from addiction to corporate malaise to malnutrition. A problem may look hopelessly complex. But there’s a game plan that can yield movement on even the toughest issues. And it starts with locating a bright spot — a ray of hope.
How does this apply to exercise? We all know we need more of it. It seems hard. It seems like a lot of trouble–and frankly, it sometimes is. If you want to get to a class, you have to plan ahead, carve out time, have clothes ready, maybe special equipment. If you swim, you need to know the hours of the pool or when there are lap lanes available, or you need to get to the lake or the ocean. With a swimming suit, preferably. I have to have goggles to swim. If I hike, I need my good shoes and a Camelback and heavy-duty sunglasses, and a companion.
So, yeah, time and planning, when life seems complicated and overwhelming enough as it is, right? Instead, maybe we need to look for bright spots in our exercise routines. What has worked for even a minute? What is something that makes you feel good? What seems like it might be a bright spot?
What might be a way you are exercising that doesn’t feel hard or overwhelming?
I was thinking about Jenny’s house rennovations. That’s a lot of exercise. Bending, twisting, carrying moving from one end of the room or house to the other, hammering, painting, sawing. It’s a great workout!
Lately, I haven’t been exercising as much as I usually do. I’ve had a very full schedule and I really need to finish the book rushing through me before I leave on a trip to the UK in eight days. I’m feeling anxious about that “lack of exercise” because it’s my magic bullet in terms of eating what I want. If I don’t exercise, I have to cut calories, and I HATE cutting calories.
What are my brights spots? I like to walk in the morning with my dog. We do this six days a week. It’s pleasant if not particularly aerobic. It gets my brain into gear. If I cloned that, what would it look like?
Maybe once or twice a week, I could walk by myself in the evening. I used to do that quite a bit. There are some gorgeous places to walk around here.
Garden of the Gods, anyone? I could even walk around my own neighborhood in the evenings, at least until the time change. I love doing that! Love walking alone, with my thoughts. Sometimes, I used to walk for ten miles on a trail that runs along the Front Range, with my music and my Camelback. Yes, that would be a good clone.
Another bright spot: I love my trainer. But I don’t want to pay him for 2 sessions a week. Too expensive. I could work out with weights on my own….but the truth is, I won’t. I don’t find it enjoyable enough without the company of another person.
Bright spot #3–Zumba. I never liked aerobics classes. They made me feel uncoordinated and strange, but I really really really love dancing, and Zumba is an absolute blast. I go on Saturday mornings. They have about 20 other classes each week. I bet I could find one more that would suit me. Yes, that would be a good clone, too.
What are some of your bright spots? What might you do to clone them to get more exercise into your week?