Many of you have probably noticed that I like to link to my amazing friend Jen’s blog, Holistic Health Junkie. She loads that think up with tons of realistic inspirational goodness. Just in case some of you haven’t clicked through and gotten totally hooked yet, I wanted to invite this wonderful woman to do the first ever guest post here at The View from There. Mere hours after I invited her, this great blog was in my inbox to share with all of you. I don’t know about all of you, but the smile on her face makes me wish I could lace up for a wintry run with her. Now that‘s motivation–enjoy!

*********************

I want to thank Olivia, fellow health enthusiast and a contributor at HHJ, for inviting me to guest blog on The View from There.  We’ve shared endless and enjoyable discussions on health and food and have recently started swapping care packages of herbs, supplements, wellness books and DVDs.  Our connection has made my journey with health a fun one to say the least!  Our latest topic of interest centers on exercise, the energy it takes and gives, and the time and motivation we try to find to do it.  I’ve recently dedicated several posts to this topic and Olivia has asked me to share some secrets for success.

I must start by saying that I’ve had a love-hate relationship with exercise and used to view it with an all-or-nothing approach; if I couldn’t complete a 45-minute video or a 5-mile run, I didn’t see the point in starting.  Perhaps it was my way of avoiding the guilt that came with inactivity.  It was also a reflection, when I actually did exercise, of the burdens I placed on myself to attain a perfect body.  I vacillated between two extremes of the exercise spectrum.  I grew up on Jane Fonda’s classic aerobics workouts, complete with leotards and leg warmers but found it was harder to keep up with her 80’s self as I got older; the moves felt faster and were more dangerous as a result.  Running initially lasted a season.  Ice skating fared much better (and longer) in my repertoire, although nowadays it’s done on rare occasion.  It was expensive and not a terribly convenient sport.  Got ice?

So you’re probably now wondering how I got my groove back and fell in love with exercise, right?  A little over a month ago I nearly gave myself a stroke.  I got sick over a broken relationship, my emotions got the best of me, and this led to a weeklong variety of physical symptoms.  I came close to going to the ER.  Yikes!  This was a turning point for me as I needed to strike a balance and do something to help my body.  I had focused a lot of my energy on eating healthy over the past three years and while I knew consistent exercise and stress relief were important I had dedicated little time or attention to them.  They were the missing links in my health plan and at this point were non-negotiable.  They were essential to my well-being.

The funny thing that happens when exercise is viewed in this light it’s very hard to make excuses.  Gone are the days where I don’t have time, where I’m too tired, or where I’m lacking inspiration to get off my you-know-what.  Here are some recommendations to stay on track and keep things interesting:

* Set short-term and long-term goals. I shoot for 25 minutes of yoga, ballet or pilates a day; anything extra is a bonus.  I am also running to gear up for a 10-mile race, something I never thought I would do but feel is now within my reach thanks to the pilates and yoga.

* Find a workout buddy – There’s nothing better than exercising with a friend, especially with one that makes it fun!  My friend Melinda and I used to meet up for hikes in a nearby park and I’m hoping to one day complete a hike with her in the Alps, where she now lives.  My current hometown buddy accompanies me on runs and is a huge motivator for my 10-mile goal.  Running with him never gets old.

* Invest in some DVDs that you enjoy – I’ve listed some recommendations on my blog.    I favor videos that can be broken down into shorter segments.  If you’re strapped for time and can’t spare 40 minutes but can do 10 or 15, such videos will still be effective and get you feelin’ good!

* Check out iTunes and websites for free podcasts and videos.  Local libraries may also have some routines that strike your fancy and help you add variety to your workouts.

* Keep notes on your progress and how you feel when you exercise.  This is a big motivator, especially for tracking goals.

* Think of all the benefits of exercise. Exercise has increased my muscle tone and flexibility and has built up my endurance.  I presume (and hope) it’s strengthening my immune system.  Exercise, most importantly, helps me manage stress.  View every contribution, be it 15 minutes today and 40 minutes tomorrow, as an investment in health, prevention and well-being.  It will be easier to stick with it.  This also diminishes the all-or-nothing mindset that I mentioned earlier.

* Reward yourself! I have a running buddy who “bribes” me.  We plan our runs with breaks or end points that involve food.  We run and stop for tea or run to get our dinner.  I call it “singing for my supper.”  Exercise is more fun with multiple pay-offs!

What types of exercise do you enjoy?  How do you stay motivated?  Do you have DVD recommendations?

Friday is the last day to enter my very first giveaway. You can enter to win a copy of The China Study, Eating Animals, or Spent (which comes with a complimentary email session with the author, Dr. Frank Lipman, a special offer for The View From There readers!). Click here for details and to enter.