Plant-Strong Success Tip #2: Participate in Exercise that is Fun and Enjoyable for YOU

I've been an on again off again exerciser for my entire life. At various points in my younger years I would go through phases when I would delude myself that if I only exercised more (like 5-6 days/week) than that would be the answer to my overweight problem. This insanity was reinforced by many influences, including my husband, whom every time I would bring up weight loss would say. "Well, we should start exercising!"

Ha ha.

What about our diet?

A few short years ago there was a very interesting article in Time Magazine about the role of exercise in weight loss. I'm going to sum it up for you: exercising is not the determining factor in achieving a healthy weight. The food that you put in your mouth is. You simply cannot burn enough calories in exercise to offset bad food decisions, so stop deluding yourself. Get your food in check and get your weight in check. If you'd like to read the whole article, and I highly recommend that you do, you can do that here.

So why then I am dedicating one of my precious Top 10 Tips to Plant Strong Success to the subject of exercise?

Because exercise is so darned important!

EXERCISE MAKES YOU FEEL GOOD.

And if feeling good makes it easier to treat your body to nourishing food than I am all for that. Exercise really and truly relieves stress. I for one know that when I am stressed out, I make horrible food choices (that's the emotional eater in me) so anything that relieves my stress level improves my relationship with food.

But here is the kicker: If it's not fun FOR YOU than you are not going to do it on a consistent basis.

If running on a treadmill makes you want to blow your brains out, do you think that forcing yourself to wake up at 5 in the morning to go to a gym is going to be a long term thing for you? I didn't think so.

It wasn't until I found the exercises that were fun FOR ME that exercise finally became a no brainer in my mind. And what a relief that was, because even without the weight loss piece, I certainly can appreciate all of the wonderfulness that regular exercise provides. Strength, flexibility, peacefulness, youthfulness, healthy circulation. I could go on.

My exercises of choice? Power Vinyasa Yoga, Pilates on a Reformer and walking with a friend (the exercise buddy system really works, I cannot impress that upon you enough). That's it. Case closed.

What are your thoughts on the importance of exercise?

Are you struggling with exercise?

Have you found a sport or two that you adore? Do you exercise with a friend?