Thursday, August 5, 2010

Exercise is Not a Dirty Word

HERE is the main news of the day.....
This morning I was out walking and I met a friend of mine. She told me "I saw you from a distance, and I was thinking: 'Is that Rickismom or isn't it....?'" And yesterday I went shopping for a few more articles of clothing, and again, it was so fun having a range of things to pick from, in a normal store (not the super-duper over priced "Big sizes store").
I have also started swimming on a weekly basis, having paid for a years pool subscription, where the number of people is limited, and no kids are allowed. (I generally like kids, but in the pool I don't. Too often they do crazy and dangerous things like jumping into the pool without looking who they are clobbering, and flailing arms and legs all over the place, hitting others.....)I am writing down how many laps I do in what amount of time. I hope over the next 11 months to see a definite increase in my stamina.
Many people who are overweight view exercise as a dirty word. I have tried, often in vain, to get overweight friends out and moving, however the inertia seems to be overwhelming for many.
Exercise is not a dirty word.
Exercise can add years to your life. Aerobic walking (fast enough that you can still talk, but not sing) in ten minute (or more) increments has been shown to decrease:
-Death
-Heart attacks
-High blood pressure
-Osteoporosis
-Diabetes
-Varicose Vein problems
As well as whatever I forgot about ………

DON’T WAIT UNTIL YOU FEEL LIKE EXERCISING, GET OUT AND DO IT, AND I QUARANTEE THAT WITHIN A WEEK YOU WILL FEEL SO MUCH BETTER THAT YOU WON’T WANT TO STOP.
I have discovered that exercise DECREASES my appetite [I once saw a medical study proving that all exercise decreases appetite EXCEPT for swimming, because the body heats up (which it doesn’t when swimming).] Don’t count on exercise to help you lose weight. But do count on it to help you feel MUCH better. (But be sure you have good sock-absorbing shoes if you are going out to walk……)
Don’t debate, don’t question, just DO!

2 comments:

Johnna said...

What an inspiring post! You have made me want to get out there and MOVE. (Except it has been 104 degrees here today.) I have enjoyed reading your blog very much. My son, who has Ds, is the same age as your daughter.

Pink (AKA Lucia) said...

I do like children, but NOT when I'm in the pool, too! They annoy me when I'm either floating in the pool trying to relax, or when I and my fiance are doing laps (he is trying to lose weight - he is very big, but he is also tall which helps a bit).

Exercise is a bad word for me sometimes. It depends on what type of exercise. I can't walk far, I can't run, and that type of things. But I enjoy going to Physical Therapy (I need it for my back and hip anyway) and the exercises they have me do both on the machines and off, they feel good. They said that it would help strengthen my hip, back and pelvic and tummy muscles. It would be nice not to be walking around looking chronically pregnant all the time just because of the way the fat in my body are built that way (for lack of a better word), most of my fat are in the belly area, and it hangs out like a pregnant belly. I go twice a week on Tuesdays and Thursdays and I love going. The PTs there are so friendly and gentle.