Exercise...

I have to say that I'm not, have never been and am not likely to be one that likes to exercise. That said, I recognize that it's necessary to support my new life;

- It helps me build muscle so that I'm more toned and my body's metabolism allows me to enjoy more of the foods I'd like to have.

- It helps me build bone density that helps me fight osteoporosis.

- It helps me manage my my emotional eating by providing an effective distraction and elevating my mood.

So while I'll probably never be a 'Gym Rat', I've found ways to incorporate it into my routine. Since, I'm not so good at 'exercise', here are a few things that I do to support my health and well-being: 

* Wear a pedometer - it helps me remember to move my tail as I work to make sure that I'm getting in at least 10K steps a day. It prompts me to park farther away from my destination, take the stairs, etc... so that I can rack up those steps. 

* Dance - I never really equate dancing with exercise, so even though I'm no Ginger Rodgers, I will crank up the music in the house and dance while I do my household chores, enjoy a Zumba or Jazzercise class or go dancing. It gets my heart rate up and I feel wonderful while doing it. 

* Gardening - I have never really liked getting dirty or sweaty, so gardening was something I always hired out or got someone else to do, in part because I didn't like doing it and in part because it was just to hard to do. Now, I still don't 'like' doing it, but I love the result I see in my garden and my body, and absolutely LOVE that I can do it. 

* Swimming - Swimming was one of the few exercises I enjoyed even when I was heavy. I used to be somewhat concerned about what I looked like in a suit when I was heavy and I still have concerns now that I'm slender, but it's an activity I enjoy so I do it when I have the opportunity.

What do you do to get moving and how does it impact your life?

Structured exercise such as walking has always been my downfall.
I just never stick with it.
I'm glad you mentioned gardening because I do that
plus with my hobby farm I lug water buckets around, muck out stalls etc.
I'm hoping to so some swimming this winter at a local high school that
has open pool and water aerobic classed.  Much cheaper than joining a gym.
Thanks for the reminder that we need to get off our booties.

Hi Vicky,

First of all, it looks like you are making good progress in your journey to a healthier you. Congratulations!!

Secondly, one of the reasons that I mentioned that I'm not so hot with 'traditional' exercise regimens is that I wanted to point out that there are a lot of ways we can weave activity into our lives, just as you have with your gardening and hobby farm. Finding 'active' activities that get us moving is another type of exercise. You know, when we were an agricultural society we didn't have many gyms around and they were necessary because people were out 'moving' in their daily lives. Since our lives have become more sedentary we need to find things we like to do that move us, literally and figuratively. It sounds like you are doing just that. 

Keep up the good work!