Secrets to Starting & Sticking To a Regular Exercise Routine
I’m not an organized person, but I have developed systems and checklists for the priorities in my life. I value exercise and it is an important priority, therefore, I have developed a solid routine for incorporating exercise in my life. You can do this too.
My husband, Jim and I deliberately chose a home that is a few short blocks from a hiking area, Powell-Butte Nature Preserve. I have always been a hiker since I was a kid. It was always my dream to have a home where I could simply walk out my front door and hike. My childhood home was at Squaw Peak where we could hike the desert mountain among saguaro cactuses. I accomplished my dream when we moved to our home in January 2020. I have seen my health improve dramatically since moving here simply due to the fact of easy access to my favorite exercise mode. As we hike, we often see wildlife: deer, coyotes, owls, garter snakes, red tail hawks, American kestrels, turkey vultures, raccoons, and possums. I love seeing the forest change through the seasons. It’s beginning to look like fall, right now. Hiking is like meditation for me, it wipes away the stresses of life.
We chose our previous home for it’s proximity to OrangeTheory, where I could walk out my door and be at the gym in 2 minutes. We loved being able to explore downtown Portland on foot, get a Stumptown coffee on the way to browsing the shelves at Powell’s Books. We loved walking along the waterfront of the Willamette River where we could watch fireworks at Fourth of July or listen to our favorite marimba band, Supa Dupa, playing at the Saturday Market. There was so much to see and do living in downtown Portland, while getting a good walking workout.
My exercise routine involves hiking every day I’m off work. I am off 3 days a week and we might hike 40 minutes or 90 minutes depending on what else is scheduled for the day. If the weather is bad, I will ride the indoor exercise bike or do an Apple Fitness class. I love a rainy walk but if there is a chance that a tree branch will fall on me, I won’t chance it. It can get really windy here in SE Portland.
I hate to admit it, but I watch a lot of television. We are enjoying “Only Murders in the Building” with Steve Martin on Hulu right now. Also “9 Perfect Strangers” with Melissa McCarthy. I love her. There is such great television on these days, isn’t there? I keep dumbbells, kettle bells, exercise bands, and a yoga mat in the area by the television. I always do a quick strength workout every evening while watching tv.
I mainly exercise to protect my brain. I worry a lot about my brain as I get older and I know exercise is the best thing to preserve brain health. Exercise keeps me strong and improves my balance. I don’t exercise to lose weight, though. I can burn about 300-500 calories working out really hard for an hour, but I can quickly wipe out those calories in about 5 minutes consuming a favorite treat. Like a fresh, warm and toasty croquette at my favorite French bakery, Tous Les Jours in Beaverton. Or one of my own famous blueberry scones, hot out of the oven.
When I am at the office, I walk every day at lunchtime. Sometimes it’s 10 minutes, but some days it close to an hour. If I have a stupid lunchtime meeting, I do some squats and use my exercise band for a strength workout, while attending the virtual Teams meeting. Luckily, our meetings are virtual right now, so I can close my office door. I hope they don’t install a camera on my computer, at least I keep checking to make sure they haven’t. If the weather is bad, I can do an Apple Fitness class from my iPhone or iPad. Apple Fitness has classes as short as 10 minutes.
Now, let’s figure out your exercise routine. When will you do it? What will you do? What equipment will you need? Don’t interrupt your own scheduled workouts. Try to schedule everything else around your exercise as much as you can. Be firm with your routine but be flexible when necessary. Write it down or set an alarm reminder until you do it automatically. Tell me about your routine in the comments!