A little play on words, there. I have been thinking again about how easily I boot exercise off my to-do list when the schedule gets tight. I treat it like a luxury I can’t afford to indulge in, instead of treating it like an essential I can’t afford to skip. That’s especially been the case if I don’t have a challenge on the horizon (e.g., a race or a long walk), or if I have just completed one.
For some reason, October is turning into an annually overstuffed month that leaves me running on fumes, fighting off “bugs” and other unpleasantries, and barely meeting my deadlines and obligations. So, naturally, I jettison my exercise routine first. But recently I talked to a friend who has very similar months, and I learned that he was trying the opposite approach – insisting on doing his runs first, THEN budgeting time for the remaining stuff. It’s working, and he has more energy and patience for the other stuff! This is not really a surprise, of course, but somehow it gives me permission to try it (again) myself. So for the last few mornings, since returning from two weeks of business travel, I’ve been climbing back on the rowing machine before I get ready for work, and knocking out some short workouts. A sense of necessity is beginning to stir me into motion, even when I want to stay in bed a few more minutes: I know I’ll feel better if I get that workout squeezed in.
And even if I couldn’t convince myself, I’d believe Michelle Obama.
50 is the new "forte" 