It's been just seven days since I committed to a goal of 900 minutes of exercise for the month of June. So far, I'm delighted to report, I'm on target. I've managed to walk every day except Sunday and to my surprise, I found that once I got myself out the door, I usually stayed out much longer than 30 minutes. I also noticed by week's end that I have to go further to get the same amount of time in, which means I'm moving faster!
June is a perfect month to begin an exercise program. The sun rises early and the temperature is ideal for exercise, especially at that time of day. (in December, not so much, but I'll deal with that later!) Because I'm so enamored of being outdoors in this weather, I neglected the weight training part of my regimen.
My goals for this week are to add in the weight-training portion (very important for women of a certain age!) My go -to author regarding weight-lifting is Miriam E. Nelson, PhD. Her website is Strong Women. Initially she studied the positive effects of strength training on elderly women and wrote Strong Women Stay Young. This was followed by more studies at Tufts and books promoting strength training for women for weight loss, to prevent osteoporosis, to improve cardiovascular health and to control arthritis symptoms. In short, strength training is an important component of exercise for women of all ages and at all levels of fitness. (Good for men too.)
So this is a definite must-do activity for me!
Accomplishments for Week 1:
I got out the door!!! Yeah!
I enjoyed the meditative aspect of walking in the silence of early morning.
I exercised 305 minutes.
I lost a pound.
Goals for Week 2:
Keep up the momentum.
Add two sessions of weight-training
Increase my walking speed.
Continue to be grateful for the gift of an early morning walk and the beauty all around me.
I'm curious. Did you begin an exercise program recently or are you already exercising regularly? How are you doing and , if you are successful at maintaining your commitment, how do you do that? Join the conversation by clicking on the comments section below.
My Take-Away for Week One: I CAN do it!
Barbara,
ReplyDeleteI, too, started a diet-exercise program (self-motivated). I agree that just getting out the door is the hardest part. What's not to love about a beautiful June morning. I walk around my neighborhood (South Amityville) and rest on a bench that looks out on the Great South Bay, then circle home. It is the best part of the day! Every other day, I'm going to Ladies Workout Express on Merrick Road in Massapequa (across from Burns Park). If I have extra time, I follow the workout with a walk around the park. I'm feeling so much better: more energy and better mental attitude. If only I can keep this up all year. Why do I forget how good exercise feels in the dead of winter?? I, too, have lost a few pounds already. Ahhh...the other benefit of exercise.
It sounds like you are getting into some good habits now. Hopefully, it will carry over when the weather turns cold and dark!
DeleteMove to FL where you can be outdoors all year! It doesn't even seem like exercise; it's just fun. Tennis, golf, bike-riding, running, swimming . . . There's even aqua-aerobics classes, if that's your thing. There is a woman here who plays tennis at 88 years old. And, until recently, she took horseback riding lessons. She is my role model! Her motto: If you stop moving, you rust! -- Miki
DeleteMy grandmother had the exact same motto! Florida only appeals to me in January and February. The rest of the time I love N.Y.
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