Overcoming an obstacle

My biggest obstacle in any fitness program is finding time to do it, but when I dig beneath the typical “I have no time” excuse, I realize I probably do have time, but not for the kind of workout I want to do. What I find most satisfying about physical exercise is the meditative, solitary state I achieve from a long, methodical workout. Bouts of 20 minutes here and there are much less satisfying than a 60-minute run during which I can really sink into my thoughts and get into a rhythm. So while I can surely carve out 20 minutes each day, I’m not so inclined to dedicate that time to exercise, knowing it will hardly be satisfying compared to a good, long run.

But I’m at the point where I have to acknowledge that I’m not willing to give up some of the other stuff I do so that I can go on good, long runs. So, 20-minute workouts it is, starting with Jessie Lucas' Fitness Accountability program.

Jessie is sending me workout plans that focus on the “short burst” technique – shorter duration and higher intensity. When I received her first workout email last Saturday, I wasn’t sure I’d be able to begin this week because I was pretty sure I had done something horrible to my left arm while lifting a 60lb goat into the back of the minivan. (Mabeline did NOT want to leave her true love after their blissful day together at our neighbor’s love chateau, and getting a doe to leave a buck is not easy if the doe does not want to go and the buck does not want her to leave. And have you ever tried to lift a stubborn goat into a minivan? Let’s hope their love was enough to get us baby goats this spring…) So, I sat down to read through Jessie’s workout email, unable to lift my left arm higher than my waist.

But Jessie had outlined several options for the opening 10-minute cardio workout, and I chose one that did not require me to lift my arms. I slightly modified the strength exercises, and then, finally warm for the first time that day, enjoyed a good five minutes of stretching. That was it! 20 minutes of exercise done while my children had their quiet time.

It sure felt good to get in 20 minutes, even if it was only 20 minutes. Doing it three times a week is even better. Then, yesterday I went out for a good hour long, meditative, cross-country ski. I’m pretty sure the long ski felt better having exercised throughout the week, and knowing I’d exercise again this coming week makes the wait until my next long ski much more tolerable.

Want to join me in Jessie’s FREE course, “Make Exercise No Sweat 2015”? It’s not too late – it starts January 22: http://bit.ly/nosweat2015events