Weighing Yourself Down

I must confess that this was sparked by me foolishly eating Chinese food three meals in a row. I had it for dinner one night, and the following day, I had it as a late breakfast/ early lunch, and again for supper. I felt gross, and unhealthy, so I decided to do something about it, which involved me just being my usual self.

I don't watch the news that often, but I do generally tend to catch it from around this time, and into the new year. I enjoy learning what the "hottest" gifts will be (and more often than not, I don't care about what makes the awesome list, especially after receiving lightsabres last year), having health experts babble on about how to make your holiday meal more healthy (yes, because when the gravy and pie come out, all you're going to think of, especially those experts, is, "hmm, is this low fat, and what's my calorie count?"), but best of all, hearing the casters ramble off statistics for the most popular New Year's resolutions.

Not surprisingly, the top resolution involves people wanting to get back into shape. Apparently, come January, the number of gym memberships purchased goes through the roof. However, no matter how good these resolutions and intentions are, people tend to have a difficult time following through, and keeping up. And then the whining and complaining begins that there's just not enough time in the day, or that someone was busy, or that said person is just too darn tired. I'm not a health expert by any means, but I have a few ideas of how to remedy this problem, mainly because these are things that I do myself.

I've never made a New Year's Resolution to buy a gym membership, and hit it up "x" number of days a week. Why? Because I have the best gym ever in my own back yard. Granted, not everyone has 90 acres to play around with, but with something like this, it's a bonus, not a necessity. I think one of the big problems is a lack of motivation. Thinking to yourself, "ugh, I have to go work out," sounds miserable, doesn't it, or at least it does to me. So choose activities that are really exercise, but don't feel like it. The only things I do where I know and feel like I'm working out is when I use my weights and do sit-ups. The rest of the time, I feel like a child playing again. I have an arena in my back yard. The admission is cheap, and there are public skates multiple days a week. On Saturdays, I hit it up for date night. At the Glanbrook Arena, for a few dollars, you get to skate from 7:00-8:30, and when you have someone with you, or go with a group of friends, suddenly, you don't feel like you're working off that massive dinner you had before hand.

During the winter months, provided that we have snow on the ground, I love to cross country ski and snowshoe. When I'm on my skis, sometimes I like to pretend that I'm Becky Scott, and I'll see how fast I can go for how long. Go ahead and mock me. I may be in my twenties, but that doesn't mean I can't live out my childish Olympic dreams in my back yard (I know, I know, it's the closest I'm ever going to get). As well, there's something soothing about hearing the crunching of snow beneath your feet when snowshoeing. Yes, I feel my breathing getting heavier, and sure, I feel my legs getting tired, but at the same time, it's relaxing, and once again, it doesn't feel like exercise.

But what to do when there's no snow, it's just too darn cold to be outside, or there isn't an arena close by (which would really be a sad and tragic tale of woe)? That, I can hear you proclaiming, can be a problem. I know that not everyone is like me, and I'm not saying you have to be either. I'm just merely sharing what I do and what I have, one of those items being a heavy bag used for kick boxing. A half hour with that baby, and I'm good to go for a few days. I've taken kick boxing, which was what made me pine for a heavy bag.

Sidebar: Instead of purchasing a gym membership, see what clubs or rec centres may be around. Through ArcelorMittal Dofasco, I was able to take up kick boxing, while my mother did zumba. Yes, you know you're getting yourself back in shape, but when you're with a group of people doing something fun, suddenly, making yourself healthier isn't so miserable. I also used to play volleyball once a week at one of the local churches. I'd show up, drop $3 in the bin, and play for an hour and a half. As it was a drop-in, there was no obligation to return every week, so maybe see if there are any drop-in programs in your area too. 

Naturally, winters goes away, and the nicer weather comes along, bringing with it a whole slew of females wanting to prep for swimsuit season, but that New Year's resolution seems so far gone (by no means am I excluding male-folk, I'm just thinking like a girl, nor am I refraining from saying that swimming is not only an awesome way to cool off, but to get yourself back into good physical condition). Once again, make use of the wonderful, free, outdoor playground you have around you. I love bike riding. As soon as the weather's warm enough to ditch the snow on the road, I'm on my bicycle. I think this year, I pulled my bike out in March, and I didn't put it away until late October. As I'm not privy to sidewalks, for me, my bicycle is my best exercise-that-feels-like-play option. For those of you who are lucky enough to have paved shoulders and sidewalks, have you ever considered roller blades? I'd love to get myself a pair, and take them down to the trail along Lake Ontario. Also, walking is really good for you too. Where I live, the roads are all hilly, so you definitely have to put forth some effort, but when I bring along my Ipod, or go with a group, the pain is eased.

Do you have a park in your area? The arena, which as I previously stated is in my back yard, has a full playground. I can honestly say that the swings are probably my favourite part. See where I'm going with this? Release your inner child, and go play at the park. The odd time, I've walked to the arena with one of my friends just to go play on the swings.

See? The trick is to find something that gets you active, but doesn't feel like it takes a ton of effort. Suddenly, that resolution isn't so difficult to maintain. To be honest, I've never made, "getting back into shape" one of my resolutions. I just do it naturally by taking advantage of the space I have, and by doing the things I love. Skating and bike riding have never looked so good, have they...

Now get out there, and play!