Am I Fit Yet?

      Another month, and another resolution has passed, and I'm not sure this one turned out anything like I had expected. Honestly, I am so not into fitness that I thought I might simply spend the whole month demonstrating how useless 15-minute programs are, or pointing out the general ridiculousness of various gimmicks or gadgets.

       Instead, I think I benefitted from all of it. 

       Although I had assumed I would try a range of 15-minute workouts -- from yoga to aerobics -- the Peggy Brill one was enough of a challenge initially that it kept me going for the first 10 days or so, and after that, it started to feel like a habit.  Just like that, it was my new routine! I must admit that the 15-minutes I spend doing the exercises still feels longer, and I still have to talk myself into it every day. But the fact that it is only 15 minutes definitely makes it easier to just get down and do it.

       Adding the shape-up shoes and the iPosture device added some expense. But to me they felt almost like freebies, since they didn't demand any more of my day. I can simply use them, and benefit from them, while living my life normally. And as I wrote about yesterday, one certainly doesn't need the iPosture to stand up straight.  It's simply a little, vibrating, reminder.

       So am I fit now -- 27 days later?  

       Well...probably not. But I am surely more fit than I was before. I feel stronger, my muscles are clearly more toned and although I had come to accept some back pain as simply a fact of life, I am now pleasantly surprised to be having less of it.

       Will I keep up with my routine? I believe I will.  15 minutes a day is a fairly small investment to make into my on-going and future well-being. I may add some variety or experiment with other programs over time. But I think the concept works for me, while anything more demanding might not.

       I read recently that riding a bicycle for 40 minutes a day can add three years to one's life. But the way I calculate it, bike riding for 40 minutes a day, over time, could easily use up three years of one's life. So unless one actually enjoy bike riding, there's no net gain as far as I'm concerned.

       And I do not enjoy bike riding, or running, or aerobics classes, or beach volleyball.  I simply don't want to spend my time that way. If you do, that's your choice. 

       I'd rather read, or cook, or watch the news, or cuddle with Tom and Olympia, or simply sit on my deck and watch the sun set. I'll likely never run a marathon or go on a long-distance cycling expedition. Those will likely never be the sort of things I choose as resolutions. And I refuse to feel there is anything wrong with that.

       But I have shown myself that with just some minor changes, I can indeed look after myself better. And to me, that does seem worthwhile.

       And perhaps I have learned something important about resolutions too.

       They don't have to be big. They don't have to be dramatic. You don't have to make huge changes, promises, commitments or deprivations.  Something as small as a 15-minute a day change can make a difference.