It's Mines

One of the hardest things to do is to stick to a workout program, or even working out as often as you know you should.

For the past four years now I have alternated between P90X, Slim in 6 and Insanity, keeping a fairly steady workout plan.

Of course prior to this past year the work out plan was easy; work out more times a week than not or pull a double.

Well, since starting a 40 hour a weeker I have had the pleasure – pleasure only because I can now identify and have true empathy – to understand how tough it is to keep to any workout schedule while maintaining a job, a household and any and all relationships.

Between the months of September and December I noted a horrible decline in a plan I thought was solid after all, the resolve was and is still there, so what is up with the decrease?

But it seemed the time was not as readily available, especially September to November, and I was always so darn tired; or at least that is what I told myself.

(Yes, an excuse.)

I would come home, vegetate while hanging out with my family eating dinner, think about maybe working out, though more often than not skipping the workout.

After all, there is always tomorrow, right?

And when I came home to an empty house, the family gone until later in the evening, I usually worked until they came home or made dinner; neither of which was actually taking care of me.

I have found I now understand why people use the no time excuse, it is so easy to fall back on and easy to make me feel better about slacking.

The truth of the matter is there is always time, especially if I really wanted to fit working out into my day.

It was just easier to be lax in my plan regressing back to how I used to be, something I refuse to allow now.

I didn’t completely abandon my workouts.

I was working out here and there through those months; it was just spotty and inconsistent, more working out to keep some weight off.

That is until the Christmas season hit this year and I couldn’t help but eat everything sugar stuffed in my path, so I began exercising to maintain my weight, fairly successfully, with the exception of about eight lbs.

I feel it is important to also point out, I don’t just exercise to lose weight it is also how I maintain a positive outlook and rid myself of too much negativity.

As a matter of fact, you could ask my co-worker Jane if she notes a difference in my attitude when I am not regularly working out and when I am, she and I were just talking about this last week.

And it is true, I am not at all myself or happy in any way when I am not getting regular exercise.

I need regular exercise to balance my being; it is just another aspect of me and taking care of me.

I use exercise as a way to work through frustrations and aspects of my day I would rather ignore or purge.

An example would be tonight when I struggled with what to write for this column.

After sitting in front of this screen for over an hour and trashing three drafts because they sounded forced and well, not like me, I finally walked away and went to work out.

It was only then, I was able to get a good thought stream rolling on what I wanted to say and why.

I have come to rely on working out to help my head sort out all the thoughts that race through my neuropath ways.

And now I have four weeks under my belt of being a non-smoker again.

I exercise to keep reminding myself of why I quit.

Insanity and smoking do NOT go well together and since I am now only doing Insanity….

Well let’s just say I like breathing and looking forward to the end of my work out because I have worked hard.

But one of the hardest things to do is to stick to a workout program, which is why I am going back to basics – reminding myself why I am working out, setting obtainable goals in my workouts and keeping to a promise I made, to take care of myself exactly how I have to.

I challenge everyone reading this to take care of themselves – exactly how you need to this year, no excuses.

I am not saying take up a workout program, just because that works for me it may not for you, just find something that you know is taking care of you: mind, body and spirit.

And if you falter jump back on that train.

Just don’t sell yourself to the ‘no time in your life’ lie. I am giving my promise that I won’t.

Contact Tina Mines at [email protected]