Change to my mindset – exercise needs to be just like housework

Exercise and me – sweating and me – sports and me – they just don’t go together and never have.

I was never one of the ‘sporty’ crowd at school – in Primary School I did swimming because you had to (huge fan of the belly flop) and played some basketball due to my height. High School I did even less as I just wasn’t good at it and didn’t enjoy it. I did the very basics that was required in PE class – yes goodness knows why I did PE, but I digress.

In my 20’s and 30’s I played mixed indoor netball as I needed to make up the numbers and I enjoyed making the uniforms more than actually playing the game. Plus I played Division C basketball – the lowest skill level out there, but left with ankle and knee injuries as basketball legacy – I can still manage to dislocate my kneecap easily. However my one claim to fame was ‘Sportswoman of the Year’ due to my committee work.

I also did Taekwon-Do on two separate occasions, both times gaining my green belt, but it is more Anthony’s thing than mine. Honestly, I have never ‘enjoyed’ exercise, so I always found myself starting something with good intentions, but never sticking it out.

So I have hit 50 and it all comes back to haunt me and my doctor is involved. I have always thought about exercise in turns of my weight – over the years when I reach a ‘new high’ in weight and have a meltdown I get on the counting calories and going for a walk treadmill and I lose a few kilos and then I am happy again…….but it is a vicious cycle.

Over the last few years, since the whole Breast Cancer scenario I have been on medication that not only puts on weight, but also causes joint pain. So even on my positive days, walking causes me pain, so I stop……..and again that cycle kicks in. I have also tried swimming to relieve the joint pain but that doesn’t give me weight bearing benefit for my bones.

Now to today……..I have again reached a ‘new high’ – the heaviest I have ever been and I mentioned that to my GP. Julie’s response was that yes you can get away with not exercising in your 20’s and 30’s and maybe even 40’s BUT not in your 50’s apparently. Plus I have the medication to consider, so her advice – ‘I don’t have to enjoy exercise, I just have to do it’. ‘Not everyone likes washing their clothes, but you have to do. You wouldn’t go out with pumpkin down your front.’

Three hours a week is the recommended amount of exercise – geez I thought. But I can do it in short blocks – it doesn’t have to be 20/30 minutes minimum – so if Anthony and I do 10 minutes tennis (cause I’m exhausted after that), it all counts and accumulates. Julie also recommended a sports physiologist, as they will consider my medications, and aches and pains – so that may be worth checking out.

I don’t mind swimming, so think I’ll keep that up. Plus going to try opa-cize either at a class, or just off YouTube. I like to dance, so maybe the at-home dancing/rumba style videos may work for me. Also trying my hand at hula-hoop – loved that as a child.

Join me in trying to change my mindset, from exercising to drop weight, to exercise for my health.