Exercise.....

Last year I spent 2 months in Cyprus – living like a Cypriot….eating like one, moving like one, relaxing like one.  By the end of the first month, even with the stress of working several 60+ hour weeks, I felt physically better than I have in decades. I realized that this was largely because I walked several miles every day in the fresh air and I ate a Mediterranean diet. After being back in the states for a few months, I was feeling a bit sluggish again. So I decided to look at what changed. I was still eating fairly well, but my exercise was limited. For months I went on like this and for months I felt like crap. However, in April, my life calmed down to where I can again exercise every day. Sometimes I swim and sometimes I run and sometime I walk. The key is that I try to do it every…single….day!  Unless I’m completely exhausted, I at least go out for a walk. I tell myself 10 minutes is all I need to do. Then, once I’m out there, I almost always go for a good half hour or longer. Only once did I come back after 10 minutes – and I didn’t beat myself up about it. I just went out again the next day and did it.

Try to not think of exercise as a dirty word. Make it fun. Just adding some walking rather than driving into your day can make a difference. Get up from your desk and walk throughout the day. Walk to get the mail. Walk with your kids or your pets or your friends in the evening. Instead of meeting at a café or restaurant, meet at the park. You don’t need to engage in some overwhelming workout plan – it can be, but it doesn’t have to be. Adding some movement into your day can really make a difference. It is one of the few non-negotiables to living a happier and healthier life. So grab a friend or a bottle of water or your Ipod and hit the pavement…or the grass…or the carpet. Your body and mind will thank you!