Doctrine & Covenants 89: 18-19

"And all saints who remember to keep and do these sayings, walking in obedience to the commandments, shall receive health in their navel and marrow to their bones; And shall find wisdom and great treasures of knowledge, even hidden treasures."

1.05.2011

The Truth About Exercise

By Sage

I'm so glad we've decided to give this another try! Hopefully Hidden Treasures won't be so hidden now. Since I last posted (an eternity ago) I have begun work on a graduate degree, which has effectively taken over my life. But I'm finding that elusive balance now (I think)and hope to be a regular contributor again.

My role on this blog is the exercise motivator, and judging by the hordes of cardio-machine clogging New Year's Resolution-ers who have been at the gym lately, people are feeling pretty motivated after their weeks of holiday-induced reckless abandon.

Good for them. Are you one of them? I hope so. But let me caution you: I have been a regular at my gym for over six years now, and I've seen the New Year's Resolution-ers come and go... they come in January and they go in February. Do NOT let that be you. Here's the truth about getting in shape when you're currently not in shape:

1) It's hard--at first
2) It hurts--at first
3) It's discouraging--at first
4) It can appear futile--at first

But the part that most people don't stick around to learn is this: it gets better! And that's also the truth. I've been trying to tell my teenage daughter this for years and she won't test the theory so she doesn't believe me. You know that awful, throat-clogging, stomach-clenching feeling you get when you're climbing up a steep hill after never having rolled off the couch to speak of for over a year? It stinks. You'll get that same feeling when you first start working out; expect it. If it doesn't feel like that, you're not really working out. You're just moving, which is better than nothing, but won't help you meet your goals. If you're out of shape and starting to work out, you will probably (nay, you should probably) feel slightly sick. Should you throw up? No! Should the thought occur to you from time to time? Most likely. You should feel wasted, spent, exhausted, beat up, like your patootie has been well and truly kicked. Great! Do that again tomorrow. And the next day. Do not quit; grit your teeth and resolve that you're in in for the long haul, and you'll be amazed at how quickly your body will adapt! But you have to be consistent to get there. No matter what anybody tells you, twice a week will not get you far. Again, it's better than nothing, but you won't see the results I know you're hoping for.

Working out does not hurt me anymore. I'm almost never sore. I'm never out of breath. I don't feel sick. I feel worked-out, but energized and exhilarated at the same time. I work hard (an hour and a half MWF, an hour TTH, with some kind of recreational exercise on Saturday and a long walk on Sunday)but it isn't hard anymore. I run fast and long, I bike fast and long, I ski, hike, and swim hard. I run and am not weary; I walk and am not faint. Five years ago I couldn't have said any of this. I was overweight and had no idea there was an athlete in me anywhere. Now I've run two triathlons and a half-marathon, and I'm telling you that if I can do it, anybody can do it. And that's the truth.

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