the adventures of dos tortas

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.

1. I wear trainers to support my feet. No working out in flip flops as folks like to do in MX.
2. I wear gym clothes including a sports bra, even at home.
3. I work out on a trampoline which provides a handle for balance and low impact.
4. I track with an “X” on the calendar. Keeping a streak going in any kind of journal motivates me. At least for awhile lol.
5. I give myself permission to switch things up. Walking, swimming, chair yoga, tai chi, videos, as long as I move.
6. 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

Tags: birthday, Exercise, Inspiration, Merida, retire mexico, shakira