Fourteen years ago I found myself with some free time at college when my husband had a Tue/Thur 8:00 a.m. class, and my first class didn't start until 9:45. Since we only had one car, we had to go to school at the same time. So I decided to use that time at the school gym.
For me, who
hated getting sweaty with an unholy passion usually reserved for serial killers and demonic entities, this was HUGE. But I did it anyway. Twice a week I hit the gym and used the weight machines and bike. And by the end of the semester I was fitter and had slimmed down*.
I found I actually liked it, to an extent. So once I no longer found it convenient to hit the gym I decided exercising at home was the way to do it. We found a cheap, used treadmill, and I started walking. I heard the usual: you'll give up soon; it'll be a clothes hanger before long.
But I kept at it. It wasn't hard exercise, but it was consistent. And I wore that treadmill motor out. Took a little while, but I got another one.
Several years later, I bought an incline trainer. This is a short treadmill designed to help you with mountain hikes. The incline on mine is as high as 25%. They aren't designed for running, though if you have a short stride like I do, they can be. My endurance started to increase. A five-hour hike across the dunes of the Great Sand Dunes National Park became a tiring but very doable experience.
Working out isn't always fun. It takes time I'd rather spend doing other things, like playing computer games. But when I see people say they hate exercise I want to shake them. Exercise is fantastic! Those few hours a week will pay off when you're not exhausted just walking up a few flights of stairs, or when you think nothing of parking several blocks from your destination. Get out there and work up a sweat, people! It will pay off, I promise.
Next week I'll blog about how to start an exercise routine that you won't quit in a month.
*For the record, exercise alone will not help you lose weight if your eating isn't under control. I became overweight even as I exercised more and more. It took dieting to lose weight.