About Exercise

Do you apologize about your home every time someone stops by for a visit? Check out my article at GNMParents and see what others have to say about it.

A lot of you have chosen exercise as as one of your Smart Habits. The best way to stick with an exericise program is to do something you enjoy, start off slowly, do it with friends, and find a time that works with your schedule. If you haven't already, check out my review of The Ultimate Fit or Fat. It's a wonderful book to get you started with an exercise program.

I enjoy almost any kind of workout but I will continue working out at the gym until my kids are older and we can get outside more. They have a wonderful nursery and a Junior Lounge with movies, games and art projects for the older kids. Or they can play basketball, raquetball, tennis, golf, run or swim. The kids never get tired of going to the gym so if I don't feel like going then they make me! If you want your kids to learn to exercise then you need to start now by setting a good example. My Mother always did.

I have found that the best time for me to exercise is right before dinner. Since I homeschool and my husband is always out of town it's a nice time for the kids and I to get a break from each other and let off steam. We work out, come home to eat dinner and then get ready to read and go to bed. Working out in the morning just makes me tired for the rest of the day.



For those of you who have inquired about my health I will fill you in. I spent many high school and college years as an athlete. I never once injured myself although I watched my fellow teammates dropping like flies around me with their injuries. I think the secret to my success was that I was very lazy and I didn't push myself too hard! I try to listen to my body and push it as far as I can without pushing it too far.

In spite of my great care to work out safely, I found myself injured last weekend. Did I trip over a bar bell and break my foot? Did I tear a muscle doing dead lifts? Did I sprain my ankle falling off a stair machine? No, nothing like that. I woke up Sunday morning with a stiff neck that worsened until I couldn't even turn my head or stand up without agonizing pain!

Apparently I am at risk of injury if I hold still for too long. Seriously! Six years ago I had major problems with my neck because I decided to take up piano and all those hours sitting at the piano practicing were just too much for me. I spent weeks in physical therapy and finally had to give up my dreams of becoming a concert pianist. Isn't that a sad story? Even now I have to be careful to do stretching exercises when I'm sitting at the computer or my sewing machine.

A couple sessions with my physical therapist fixed me back up this time. I think my neck problems really go back to my years of high jumping and repeatedly landing on my back, neck, and head. It looks something like this. Sometimes I wonder if it may have caused a little brain damage too.