Conviction


“What are we going to do today to cause ourselves pain?”  I’ve been asked this question daily in the past week by a visiting family member who is firmly convinced of his need for daily, strenuous exercise.  At this point I am going to just take a bath in epsom salts and survive today’s challenge, whatever it is.  He and I are fortunate that he has caught me in a season where I am willing to be his training partner in torture because frankly, I don’t always feel so agreeable about exercise.  I get tired, schedule stressed, and completely disinterested for whole blocks of time.  How can I protect my motivation, and what can you and I do to get out of an apathetic slump if we’re in one?  It is my conviction that our good health depends on it.

CONVICTION
Nursing mothers will endure the inconvenience and discomfort of breast pumps because they are sure that what they do is the best thing for their child.  A teenager looks longingly at his bed but keeps tapping away at the keyboard because he is convinced that good grades are his ticket to college.  Noah kept building the ark for a hundred years despite public ridicule because he was convinced that what God had told him would happen.  Conviction is a powerful motivator which will carry you where you need to go.  Are you convinced that you need to exercise for your health?  If not then that is the place to start. 

REFRESH YOUR MEMORY
Chances are you already know how good it is for you, but just in case you need to refresh your memory, just google “benefits of exercise for health” to get yourself started, or read one of the articles I posted for you below.

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/exercise/HQ01676
http://www2.gsu.edu/~wwwfit/benefits.html
http://health.usnews.com/health-news/diet-fitness/fitness/articles/2010/06/30/0630healthexercise
http://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/everyone/health/index.html

I’m begging you to read at least two of these,  and I promise you will be more motivated to put on your walking shoes today!

DO WHAT YOU LOVE
It has to be fun to you!  Out in the open air or inside a polished health club, with friends or alone, music or silence, routine or spontaneous…what will your exercise look like?  Pay attention to what you enjoy and use that to inspire exercise.  I love company and being outside so I plan consistent walking, running and outdoor crossfit workouts with friends. Because things I like are a part of my exercise routine, I do it.  You may love music and dancing…so sign up for dance classes at your local studio, gym or recreation department.  You may love solitude and routine…schedule weekly walks or runs with your ipod.  JUST MAKE SURE YOU LOVE something about WHAT YOU ARE DOING.

Just like healthy eating, healthy activity is driven by the inspiration of conviction, and you get conviction after you are sure something is true.  How do you know something is true? Find reliable sources and do your research.  Put your efforts where your mouth is and don’t just say, “I need to eat better, or exercise more, or lose some weight”.  Rather, fill your mind with the facts, and then use the strategy of incorporating things you naturally love into your exercise routine as the final push to get yourself going.

CONVICTION MADE IT HAPPEN
The other day I was out of town for 24 hours and picked up groceries and my son from football practice on my way back to the house.  I dumped bags in the kitchen, left a child I really wanted to talk to, laced up my shoes and went for a 15 minute power walk right before the sun completely settled in the horizon.  It may seem like such a small thing, and when you consider all of the casual ways we use 15 minutes you know it is, but sometimes you just have to seize the moment and do something, because something is better than nothing. It refreshed my mind, caused me to breath more deeply, loosened up some sore muscles, and made me better ready to really get some good exercise in on another day.  And yes, dinner and that converstaion were only a few minutes later than they would have been and I still got my exercise! My conviction grounded in adequate knowledge about how daily exercise is good for me is what got me out the door!

I would love to hear your stories too, so take a moment to let me know how you have been inspired to make a change in how you approach exercise.

Cheering you on,

molly's avatar

Molly

PS- I also have a wonderful vegetarian guest this week and you will see that reflected in the menus.  We should talk sometime about how powerful the effect of someone else’s conviction on your own life when you spend enough time with them.  For this week, find friends who like to exercise and you will find yourself doing it more too.