Sustaining Healthy Habits

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Well, here we are a few days into the New Year and I am finally getting my current act together. I say current as I seem to always be reinventing "my act." You know how it is, "The best laid plans of mice and men," as Steinbeck once said. They say (whomever they are) that a good song needs a great "hook line," something catchy and easily remembered...something that makes the song stick.

I think good habits must be that way. You have to know what does and does not work for you. After scrutinizing all aspects of exercise and what I stick to, walking is my best option for success. My struggle is making it my choice on a daily basis.

I am not a gym person, I am not an exercise equipment person, I am not a yoga person. I am just a person who wants to be more fit, with what the daily minimum requirement standards extract from me, and I want to enjoy what I am doing. I am not out to prove anything to myself or the world, not interested even slightly in a marathon, half-marathon, mini-marathon, nope...none of the above. Just want to get a little stronger, a little more flexible and work the heart ever so slightly more than the computer allows in a physical way.

I am also not into group exercising. I know, I am pretty particular. The reason I don't like it is I don't want someone else setting my pace or waiting for me to catch up with them. And I don't want a gab fest either. Remember this is tiring to an introvert, not energizing. (If you are interested in an excellent article, read about extroverts and introverts here:

http://tinyurl.com/82h44yw

I just want to do the job, get it done and use that time to contemplate, pray and plan my day, projects, etc. Sometimes I just want to ponder and listen to music and I do not want to have a set time scheduled with another person, so I am best on my own. I just need that flexibility.

So here is the problem that all those conditions seem to place on my doing it all the time. After awhile I lose interest or motivation and then it is so easy to let other things smother the desire to make it a consistent effort. I hate that I am that way, but I am. I want to be like Jim and just do it rain, shine, sweltering heat, wind, sleet or snow. Out he goes. No excuses, no internal conflict, he just goes! I want this kind of discipline in this area of my life but I am beginning to wonder if it will ever come. But I will never give up trying. My spirit is struggling to do what is right, but my flesh is my weakness.

One thing I think helps is to realize that exercise is exercise and it doesn't have to be a 'put your stylish jogging suit and special walking shoes and sweat like crazy before your shower' type of thing. Exercise is moving with a little more effort than just strolling along for a sustained period of 30, 45 0r 60 minutes a day. That is it. Why is this so dang hard? I hate that thing that pulls me in the opposite direction of what is smart and good and best for me, don't you?

So here is what I have come up with to make this new effort more fun I am taking my iPhone/camera with me and snapping at least one picture a day of something I find interesting along the way. The first day I went to the mall to walk and I found some funny photos. Here is one I found in a store front window.

The caption is:
Walking is not on sale, it is free!
A little kitschy but it's a mall after all.

So since the photo ops are a little scant in the mall, I thought perhaps a neighborhood walk would work. So the next day I got this: I walked with Jim in the neighborhood. Here is my photo.

Here is my caption:
Solitude deceptive in this photo,
a neighbor behind every bush wanting to chat.
Set new rules regarding spousal walking...
No cell phone conversations please.

I think today I will try the mall again. Less beautiful but more fruitful-Day 1

Lovely outside, covered virtually no ground, like maybe an eighth of a mile. Saw and chatted with nice people. Spent some fun moments with James, a big plus. Nice, but not on target. Day 2

Day 3 yet to be seen but in the works. Wish me luck. A thousand mile's journey starts with one step. Or, so they say! My hook...the pictures. Know thyself and carry on.