Do you have a love or hate relationship with exercise?
I admit I love exercise. Lest you think I'm completely virtuous, I assure you I have a hate relationship with healthy eating. I guess one out of two ain't bad.
Ever since I started competitive swimming at age eight, moving my body in some fashion has become a daily habit. High school and college swimming peaked at four hours of exercise a day (yes, swimmers are insane) but now I strive for an hour a day. Here are some of my favorite ways to spend that hour:
* Swimming laps with friends (two miles take us up to 90 minutes because we chat and insult each other so much between sets)
* Reading a novel on the exercise bike
* Walking with my iPod, plotting the next chapter of my novel
* Ellipticalling on the elliptical machine while playing Word Welder on the iPad
* Walking with a psychotherapy client during our session
* Strength training to pump *claps* me up! (remember Hans & Franz from SNL?)
Beyond the physical benefits, exercise is my therapy. There's substantial evidence that exercise reduces anxiety and depression, possibly working even better than medication, and the mental health benefits are certainly true for me.
What's your favorite exercise?
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I admit I love exercise. Lest you think I'm completely virtuous, I assure you I have a hate relationship with healthy eating. I guess one out of two ain't bad.
Ever since I started competitive swimming at age eight, moving my body in some fashion has become a daily habit. High school and college swimming peaked at four hours of exercise a day (yes, swimmers are insane) but now I strive for an hour a day. Here are some of my favorite ways to spend that hour:
* Swimming laps with friends (two miles take us up to 90 minutes because we chat and insult each other so much between sets)
* Reading a novel on the exercise bike
* Walking with my iPod, plotting the next chapter of my novel
* Ellipticalling on the elliptical machine while playing Word Welder on the iPad
* Walking with a psychotherapy client during our session
* Strength training to pump *claps* me up! (remember Hans & Franz from SNL?)
Beyond the physical benefits, exercise is my therapy. There's substantial evidence that exercise reduces anxiety and depression, possibly working even better than medication, and the mental health benefits are certainly true for me.
What's your favorite exercise?
Join us for the Author Author Blog Bounce hosted by Omnific Publishing!
Comments
And yes, many a plot detail has been worked out while lifting something very heavy!
Great post!
Mine is not strictly an exercise but more a way of being, and that's yoga. Am currently kept from doing my most favorite asana's by a botched knee, but I still get to do it :)
Annalisa, thanks for the encouragement. I miss having a coach cajole me into a hard workout, so I probably need a trainer.
Sylvia, yoga is lovely too. I have trouble carving aside time to delight my body and spirit with yoga (preferring something a bit more active) but someday I hope to take yoga more regularly.
Jemi, volleyball and swimming are two of my favorites too.
Feather
Feather, I got some sad news Thursday so I was a little off my posting schedule for "F". There's something about working with soil and plants that is therapeutic above and beyond the exercise it provides.