I enjoy some kinds of exercise, but I find the mental
monotony of some activities is worse than any physical discomforts. I'm a
classic nerd, and would much rather be soaking up a book, a movie, or the junk
I read on the internet than making laps on a track. However, I've found that I
can often combine my favorite activities with an exercise and make them both
better for me. Here are some of the things I do to entice myself to exercise:
Indulging my inner artist. I would love to make art, but
with no training and very little talent in drawing or painting, my efforts are
mostly a waste of art supplies and time. However, I have a good camera I take
on the trail. I carry it and its extra lens in a small backpack that has room
for a water bottle, and I pause on trail walks to photograph the plant life and
animals I see along the way. I've managed to capture plants I've never seen
before, impossibly blue skies, heart-shaped wild vines, deer, honeybees, and
some interesting images of my own shadow. Yes, it makes my walks longer and
maybe less aerobic, but it feeds my creative side and gives me a reason to get
out.
Watching TV while I "walk" indoors. I purchased a
mini-trampoline at Aldi last winter. It's much cheaper than a treadmill and
takes up less space. I can turn on an old sitcom or the local news and do a
little bouncy walk to get in as many steps as I would during a quick walk in
the park. It's especially nice for cold days or days when dark catches me
before I get in any walking. Borrowing a DVD from the library and watching in
increments during a workout is another way to make an indoor walk more fun.
Watching a movie or TV series while riding a stationary
bike. Some people take a print book to the gym or to their home workout
station. I've found I don't do too well reading on a stationary bike, but I do
very well streaming a show. I saw most of "Downton Abbey" from a
bicycle seat. I watched in increments, so the series lasted longer and the
exercise went faster. Later, I watched a season of "Last Tango in
Halifax" the same way. Because it had many rural scenes, I could even
pretend I was biking through England! If your indoor bike is near your
television, hit the library for some DVDs and catch up on a series or movie you
missed!
Reading while walking. No, I'm not like the character in
Hitchcock's "The Trouble with Harry" who walks with a print
book in hand. I use audio books. The Westmoreland Library Network offers two
great options for books you can take on the trail or to the track. Playaways
are tiny, lightweight, pre-loaded MP3 books that fit in your pocket. Add your
own earbuds or headphones, and the track becomes an audio reading room. If you
prefer, you can download an audio to your phone using Overdrive. For safety's
sake, I don't recommend listening to books on our local roadways, but for
trails and tracks, they are a great way to get your reading time in. If you're
using the track, the boredom of doing laps disappears when a story is
unfolding.
Link to Westmoreland Library Network Playaway Digital Audio titles:
One thing I do Ann to get extra steps in is to park at the far end of the parking lot when I go to the grocery store and walk at a brisk pace to and from the entrance. Also I walk up and down every aisle of the store whether I need something in that aisle or not. If I don’t need anything in a particular aisle, I walk briskly. When I go to the mall, I always try to walk around each level at least once as I am shopping. More, if I have the time and not too many packages. ;)
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