Celebrating my birthday is not optional for me. Since I am not a big fan of the usual fawning, gift buying and everything that goes with it, I make a plan for what works for ME. This year I bought tickets to see Shakira in Merida, Yucatán. My wife played a supporting role so I didn’t have to worry about the details. We had a blast, learned a lot and were not awakened by dogs at six am.
Returning home to Bacalar, I found myself exhausted, (it’s amazing how vacations can be so tiring) with little motivation for anything, especially exercise. I used every excuse under the sun to deflect, sidetrack and put off. However, my education and lifelong interest as a Health Educator means I knew better. Time to do better.
Back in the day, when counseling was my paid gig, I was a broken record. “Walk! Just walk, 15 minutes. Put on “X” on the calendar. Increase frequency, then increase time. Keep track, you can do it!”
People’s excuses were consistent, no time and I don’t like exercise. But leading the pack was, EXERCISE HURTS. My pat answer was, “it hurts if you do and it hurts if you don’t”.
And now I find myself in the, but it hurts camp. Pain can be a good motivator but so can lying in bed.
This week, I came across a clip on my YouTube channel from a trainer I used to follow during Covid quarantine, many moons ago.
Not only is he cute, but his motivational banter was just the kick in the pants I needed today. Exercise helps the body and the mind. I needed both.
Some other habits I have developed in the past to keep me motivated.
- I wear trainers to support my feet. No working out in flip flops as folks like to do in MX.
- I wear gym clothes including a sports bra, even at home.
- I work out on a trampoline which provides a handle for balance and low impact.
- I track with an “X” on the calendar. Keeping a streak going in any kind of journal motivates me. At least for awhile lol.
- I give myself permission to switch things up. Walking, swimming, chair yoga, tai chi, videos, as long as I move.
- I do whatever it takes to remind myself of the importance of exercise. My body gives me way too much push back.
I’d love to hear from you what keeps you going. I find exercise to be a life-long challenge which only gets harder with an aging body.
DOS TORTAS
the adventures of dos tortas 
Hi Alex,
First of all: how did the trip go to Merida? Did you find bathrooms ? And how were the rest of your concerns met? I am asking bc I am going to Italy with my son Andy in May – and I need my own bathroom (and very well may not have one) and….and…your blog helped me by sort of giving me permission to have concerns …
And exercising: well, here is ONE area where I shine! I exercise no matter how I feel or what I am ‘wanting’ to do – and thank God I do that bc otherwise I would always find another time or a better day. If I had to say ‘how’ I do this, I’m not sure really. I just make a commitment to myself (The Atomic Habits guy actually writes out an agreement and signs it – and asks his partner and/or friend to sign also – accountability) and I stick to it. I also – as lame as this might sound – use grateful language: “I GET to do my power walk right now” – or “I am so grateful that I have a body that will move” or “it might be rainy but the air will be fresh, so here I go!” …honestly, the gratitude part really helps me. I also make sure I really really notice how much better I feel once I am out the door and then home from a workout (bc I really do feel worlds better – each time).
If I think of other brilliant suggestions, I’ll send them on😊
Love your blogs – see you next month! With love – L
Lorrie Jones
Simple Serenity
simpleserenity.comhttp://simpleserenity.com/
253.312.3117
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The trip went well. I decided to face each fear as it came up. There were 30k people at this concert. There were portable bathrooms everywhere. Seating wasn’t ideal but we made it work. We left early to beat the crowd, found a taxi quickly and were away. Not likely I’ll ever go to that venue again but we had a great time.
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