Exercise: the Perpetual New Year's Resolution

Probably the most popular resolution that people make for the New Year is to pay more attention to their bodies. After a holiday season of joyful over-eating, people feel guilty. Of course, winter is a time when many animals feel a natural inclination to put on some extra fat and hibernate. There's no need to feel guilty about it, but there is also no need to let this inclination get out of control. We humans can't catch up on sleep necessarily like a bear, but we can use the colder weather as a time for self-reflection and self-improvement. It is a time to tweak one's identity and develop a routine that will carry us through the next year, and perhaps beyond. It is entirely possible that this year, when I say I'm going to get more exercise, I really mean it!

The first thing that I am doing is moving to a place where there is clean air and clean water, and much less litter. If I am not made uncomfortable by my environment, I will be more likely to go outside and enjoy it. I will hike the nature trails and take jogs along the back roads, to the lake, past the horses grazing, exploring all that is beautiful in Coventry, Connecticut.

I used to do my yoga by the cycles of the sun, then by the moon, but now I have been working third shift and feel more removed from these forces. I will have to use my irregular work schedule as the cycle on which the exercise routine is based. I may not know where I will be when the sun comes up on a given day, but I know that when I come home from work I will do some yoga. A wonderful online resource if you would like to begin your own yoga routine at home is YogaToday.com. Based out of Wisconsin, it offers free daily online yoga classes.

Of course, maybe I will be too tired to exercise after work. I will try anyway for one month, and then at the end of each month I will re-evaluate the effectiveness of the schedule, making slight changes as necessary. Life is constantly changing and an exercise routine must react dynamically.

It also might help to have social support. If I can find someone to jog with me and yoga classes to attend, it will be that much more difficult to shirk the responsibility.

Laziness is an obstacle that must be overcome moment-to-moment. As soon as I think about going for a walk, I must get up and do it before I notice something else to do that might seem more important. My New Year's resolution must take priority over other things. When exercise is a priority, I must remember that I will be in better shape with more energy to accomplish the other things in life.