When I was losing weight, finding focus in physical activity was almost as significant a transformation. Looking back over my life, I’d always hated gym class. Even as a kid I couldn’t make it past the first turn on the school track. Attempting to just go out and run didn’t earn me any improvement. Through the years I joined various gyms, worked with trainers, bought equipment and gadgets. It seemed like so much jumping around and sweating with no sense of what I was supposed to achieve from the effort. None of it seemed to clear a path how I could find a way to feel in control of my body. If you’ve experienced this, like me, over time you may have become very disconnected from your physical presence.
For me, I found focus by simply walking. I did not walk far at first and I was fine with that. I walked far enough to keep challenging myself but not enough to start hating it. As I could walk farther and farther, it was the first time in my life that I’d ever done any physical activity for which I could measure improvement. That was HUGE. Experiencing positive improvement was critical to finally making that connection to my physical self! What a breakthrough! When I studied to become a certified trainer, I learned that walking is truly a perfect “body weight” exercise that sparks the highest calorie burn your body may be capable of while you’re still very overweight. This comes from supporting and moving your full body weight. Being able to lengthen the time I could walk and maintaining a steady pace was the best possible thing I could have done! Obviously, it paid off. I finally made that critical connection to feeling in control of my own body!
Recently, I posted about Holly who writes her blog at 300PoundsDown.com. Holly is working on losing 300 lbs. She does a Crossfit workout regularly but how did she make that physical connection? She started by walking from her front door to her mailbox. She was told she should be walking two miles a day but she did not feel discouraged or belittled. She started working on her own terms. Being able to perform a Crossfit workout has taken her a year.
Have you found it difficult or discouraging to get started with exercise? What would you like to try doing?
