Exercise - NO excuses!

EXERCISE - NO EXCUSES!

Before I share some of my exercise journey I just wanted to clear up a couple of items that were brought to my attention.

You may see some discrepancies between Chris Powell's information and what I am actually doing and putting into action on my journey.

My eating plan and fitness regime are specifically calibrated to what MY goals are and how MY body reacts to what I eat.

YOUR goals will be different and your eating regime and exercise should be based on YOUR goals and how YOUR body reacts.

The cartoon above is funny BUT IT IS ACCURATE!!!

Have you ever bough a piece of clothing where the label read "one size fits all"?

Did it fit the way you expected? Could you even get it on your body?

Most people would answer "no", myself included.

THERE IS NO "ONE SIZE FITS ALL" EATING PLAN

THERE IS NO "ONE SIZE FITS ALL" FITNESS PLAN

Everything is simply guidelines.

NOW...........

Can you lose weight without exercise? Yes.

Do I recommend it? No.

Do most fitness experts and healthy eating plans recommend it? No.

(this is where I give you my disclaimer- I am not a fitness expert, personal trainer or other expert in this field. I am not a medical professional and you should consult one before starting or changing your diet or exercise program- the opinions expressed here are simply my experience with my own body and how it reacts to what I do and what I eat)

I find that daily exercise does a couple of things for me:

Improves thinking

Builds muscle

Increases weight loss

Improves endurance

Helps me sleep better

Improves my eating habits

WHAT IS EXERCISE?

In the most basic terms......movement lasting 30 minutes or more 3-5 days per week

CAN EVERYONE EXERCISE?

Yes.

DOES EVERYONE HAVE AN EXCUSE?

Yes.

I've used them all and I've heard them all - excuses- the only thing standing between you and me and reaching our goals!

Some of my excuses:

I'm tired

I'm sore

I'm too busy

It's my rest day

I don't feel good

I'm too stressed out

I'm too sleepy

It's too cold

It's too hot

I have bad knees

I have headaches

I'm too fat

and the list goes on and on and on and on.....

I want to share some of the medical issues I have because this seems to be the #1 excuse that I hear from other people about why they don't exercise.

Some of my medical issues:

Dysautonomia - dysfunction of the autonomic nervous system where basically

my nerves send the wrong signals to my heart, lungs, digestive and other body systems. It 

is seizure like in nature and similar to lupus without the autoimmune factor.

Neurocardiogenic Syncope - an instant drop in heart rate that causes periods of unconsciousness, low

blood pressure and heart rate.

Hysterectomy/Menopausal Symptoms - on Dec 18, 2014 I had a partial hysterectomy. My uterus was removed and several cysts on my ovaries were drained. I suffer from dysfunctional ovaries which causes severe hormone imbalances, severe water retention, night sweats and other issues.

Hyper extended knees with other related issues - kind of self explanatory, my particular challenges are not being able to jump, walk up stairs, lunges/squats, etc. No bike riding.

For many years I let all of this medical garbage be my excuse. I was depressed - I gave up - I let it beat me. God held me up, He encouraged me, He sat with me, He held me.....

Then I decided I was ready to change!

NO MORE EXCUSES!

If you can't run..............walk

If you can't walk............crawl

If you can't use your legs.......work your core

Do sit ups

Do planks

Do push ups

Walk in place

Do jumping jacks

Use weights to workout your arms

Do leg lifts

Do modified activities (EVERYTHING can be modified)

I HAVE TO MODIFY ALMOST EVERYTHING THAT I DO!

Just a run down of my weekly exercise routine:

(keep in mind I didn't start here I had to SLOWLY work up to it)

Bootcamp workout 3-4 times per week for 1 hour each day

Personal Training Sessions 2 per week for 1 hour each day

Running 2-4 miles 2-3 times per week

Running one 5K race event per month

Hiking 3-6 miles once per week - hills for 1-2 hours

THIS IS NOT AN AVERAGE PERSON'S WORKOUT

THIS IS WHY YOU WILL SEE THAT MY EATING PLAN IS DIFFERENT AND MODIFIED

YOUR EATING PLAN SHOULD BE BASED AROUND YOUR

EXERCISE

YOUR EXERCISE SHOULD NOT BE BASED AROUND YOUR 

EATING PLAN

Where did I start?

I started by walking around the block - out of breath and feeling like crap....

But each day I went a bit further and each day I tried something new!

Today - I go a bit further each day and each day I try something new!

YOU WON'T KNOW WHAT YOU CAN DO UNTIL YOU TRY TO DO IT!

DON'T LET EXCUSES HOLD YOU BACK!

Customize your journey to fit your goals, pray about what God would have for you!

"I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.I can do all this through him (Christ) who gives me strength."

Philippians 4:12-13

Blessings on your journey!

3.1runmom