Exercise
The blocks to exercise are many:
I don’t have enough time.
My body hurts too much to exercise.
I can’t afford the gym.
I only like to exercise outside and it’s raining.
I feel uncoordinated and embarrassed.
Finding the one activity you LOVE to do is helpful. It can take a lot of trial and error to find it but once you are hooked there is no going back and the natural endorphins boost the journey toward good physical and mental health. Once I found Zumba, my whole life changed! Now I look forward to spending time with my favorite teachers, with my community of fellow dancers, sweating and shaking what we were born with, regardless of gender or size or ability. We are in it to smile and move, to naturally elevate our moods and strengthen our bodies through music and laughter and fun.
But there was a time in my life when getting to class was not possible due to my work schedule, so I understand the very real constraints that many people feel. That is why I am a huge advocate of simplicity: yoga and walking as exercise.
Yoga has a lot of connotations and can raise triggers and/or judgements, and it took me some time to work through them for myself. In the end, I have come to believe we are fortunate in the modern, western world to have access to these ancient teachings that help to coordinate body, mind and spirit. Whether we attend a studio class or follow a YouTube video on a mat in the living room, breathing and staying present and open to the sensations that arise as we hold a pose helps our bodies to unlock and detox, and usher in a sense of peace. Strengthening through holding the body’s own weight is a way to reduce injury and build bone density. The poses need not be complex and ought not hurt. The goal is to make a practice of being at home in the body, face relaxed, breathing and moving, whether in a chair, standing upright or on the floor.
Walking is another wonderful, safe, achievable form of exercise for most everyone. Being present to surroundings, breathing deeply, and swinging your arms makes it a mindfulness meditation as well as a workout. I hear often from folks that there isn’t time in the day to walk, or that walking is only fun on Mt Hood or out at the Gorge, so walking only happens on weekends; sometimes even only on sunny days.
I chose the photo of the person climbing some city steps for this post because I am a city girl. While I believe wholly in the healing power of Nature, and get out to the wild forests and the Pacific as often as I can, I live and breathe Portland proper. We are lucky here — we are a city of Nature. It isn’t too difficult to find a neighborhood park, sidewalks leading to the unknown, some hillside steps. I understand disliking a gym atmosphere, and the rain and short days can make getting out to exercise difficult. But it’s doable.
I lived the past two years near downtown, in a large brick building surrounded by other large, brick buildings, just few blocks off the 405 entrance. It was a very urban, seemingly non-natural setting. But I walked absolutely everywhere, 5-10 miles a day just running errands, walking the dog, and getting from here to there. At night I wore blinking lights that I bought at the pet store (to be applied to dog collars) to stay safe from cars. I carried a hat everywhere in case of rain, and wore comfortable shoes.
I found deep in the city’s core that Nature is absolutely everywhere here in Portland. Gardens on every free plot of earth, weeds growing through the cracks of concrete, a canopy of old-growth deciduous street trees, cracking the sidewalks and signaling each changing season with their foliage. Even the city steps have moss growing on them!
If you are not currently moving and feel there isn’t time or good weather enough to start an exercise program, try making walking where you are a practice. If you must drive to buy groceries, park at the far end of the lot and walk to the store. If you ride mass transit to work, make a goal of walking a few stops ahead of the one closest to you (and snag a better seat as a result!) Start with 20 minutes daily at a minimum: swing your arms with head held high, breathe deeply, notice Nature in your surroundings, and marvel at how great your body feels as a result.