Adding exercise, by far, will be the second most difficult change to implement into my life. I have never made exercise a priority, and I now understand the need to add to my new routine. Here are the facts keeping me motivated and the plan that will get me started.
Benefits of Exercise
I’ve always known exercise is good and important for my health. I’m sure you know it as well. We see it in advertisements, commercials and our doctors remind us. We are told exercise helps us lose weight, increases our energy, promotes better sleep, and can be a great bonding activity with family or friends.
Did you know exercise can prevent or manage health conditions or diseases as well?
Regular exercise can help combat:
- Stroke – by improving the health of blood vessels
- Metabolic syndrome (high blood pressure, high blood sugar, excess body fat around the waist, and abnormal cholesterol levels) – by regulating fat and glucose metabolism
- Type 2 diabetes – by lowering blood glucose levels
- Depression and Anxiety – by releasing feel-good endorphins
- Many types of cancer
- Arthritis – by aiding in strenthening the muscles around affected joints, decreasing bone loss and manages joint swelling and pain. It replenishes lubrication to the cartilage of the joint and reduces stiffness and pain.
- Falls – by making your muscles stronger and more flexible and improves your balance.
- Sex – by increasing your energy levels and strength you feel better about your appearance. Which in turn may boost your labido.
Regular exercise improves cognitive function as well. According to Doc Amen from amenclinics.com, exercise can:
- help ward off Alzheimer’s and memory problems
- decrease anxiety and depression
- boost your ability to focus
- enhance your brain’s ability to repair itself.
Why Exercise Matters to Me
According to Medline, exercising helps flush bacteria out of my lungs and airways along with the benefits above. This may reduce my chance of getting a cold, flu, or other illness. I am currently immune-compromised, preventing illness is very important for me.
Exercise produces a change in antibodies and white blood cells, causing them to circulate more rapidly. Thus allowing the antibodies to detect illnesses earlier than they might have before. Additionally, the brief rise in body temperature during and right after exercise may also prevent bacteria from growing.
All of this is enough evidence to move me in the direction of physical exercise.
Formulating a Plan
Now the dilemma… How to begin???
The plan is to ease into this exercise routine. I don’t want to give up.
After a lot of thought, I decided I would do four days a week – Tuesday through Friday. I look forward to sleeping in on Saturdays, and I wake up early on Sundays for church. Plus, I’m always moving about on the weekends with house chores, grocery shopping, home projects, etc. I don’t think I need additional exercise on those days. Mondays are too hard to wake up from the weekend. The decision is concluded four days a week.
And I will be doing it all from home – NO GYM!
Now, what sort of exercises will I do?
My likes:
- yoga
- treadmill (speedwalking on incline)
- pilates
- barre
- Resistance Band Workouts
My dislikes:
- HIIT (bad for my vertigo)
- Exercise Bike
- Heavy Weight Lifting
After searching google and weighing my likes, I’ve decided on the below schedule:
Tuesday: 20 minutes treadmill – 20 minutes arms and back
Wednesday: 20 minutes treadmill – 30 minutes yoga or deep stretching
Thursday: 20 minutes treadmill – 20 minutes legs and glutes
Friday: 20 minutes treadmill – 30 minutes yoga or deep stretching
Saturday/Sunday/Monday: 15-20 minutes stretching
I think this will be a great start, and I hope this will begin a lifelong passion for keeping fit and healthy.
Pray with me that God gives me the discipline to exercise regularly and commit to this new lifestyle.
If my story resonates with you, feel free to join me! We can – and will – take charge of our health.
If you have a simple, low-impact exercise routine, please share in the comments below. I’d love to read about them.
To Follow My Journey:
Healing After Years of Discomfort
Healing – Growing Closer to God’s Word
Journey to Healing – Supplements
Meditation – Healing in Silence
Journey to Healing – Meal Plan
AMAZON AFFILIATE DISCLAIMER – Road to Health and Healing Blog is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.comBelow are what I purchased to get me started:
6 thoughts on “Adding exercise… Ugh…”