Trick or Treat?
Finding new paths to exercise


I've got a little trouble brewing. I like morning exercise. I've been a morning workout person. Most of this year I've written at night, worked out in the morning. That's worked okay, but it takes family time away at night. And there is very little of that.

So lately I've been writing in the morning, and not exercising enough. A few classes.

That's not going to work for me. I planned to head back to my morning gym this time of year. But I can't seem to shift my schedule back. Well, I don't want to. My hubby's coffee and writing in the morning is a pleasure. Argh. I need to get through the winter somehow.

So there's a gym near my office. I'm going to try lunchtime classes. If that doesn't work, or the people aren't as nice as the folks at my gym, then I will have to return to my morning routine, I'll need to give myself a big talking to, because while I have no problem writing in the dark wee hours, it's awfully hard to get moving at this hour. In the cold. Without coffee.

But there are tricks to make it happen.

I ran into an old buddy yesterday. We'll call her "Carrie." Carrie tells me she's been running, but with the time change, we've lost our morning light in these parts (clinging by our nails to the westernmost edges of EST, people who work late won't see the light of day from now until Juneish), and she's not comfortable running in the dark, so she runs on her treadmill at home. Her motivation: decadent TV.

I love this idea. She tapes the shows she feels decadent about watching (the match/not match making, will he/won't he, he/she's got money/or not, ew don't pick THAT one shows), and watches those tapes while she's on her treadmill. She wraps up this little pleasure with exercise. Workout-reward in one package. Very efficient, I think. A motivator that doesn't have to do with all that health-schmealth stuff. Because sometimes it just feels smarter to stay in bed, and the only thing that can possibly pull you out of it is a little Hollywood fairy tale.

Smart. Carrie's figured out what will get her out of bed in the morning. What gets you going? What gets thee to the gym? To your workout class? Into your sneakers?

*Some people walk in malls to enjoy some good people watching and vicarious shopping.
*Some people walk while praying or meditating.
*Some walk or work out on their treadmills or bikes while talking to a loved one on the phone.
*Some attend workout classes to "take in the scenery."
*Working out in the morning at a gym gets you your morning news shows.
*Working out with friends at lunch gives you a chance to catch up on life

You don't have to like exercise, ever. Just do it. If it helps to combine it with some socializing, some pleasure, a spoonful of sugar to help it go down, then do it. Do what it takes.

I'll figure it out if you will,

JuJu


One of "Carrie's" shows
Washington Post's Moving Crew offers advice


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