As we enter February, a month after our New Year’s Resolutions, a study came out to remind us that most exercise equipment ads are fiction and there are no quick fixes for changing our bodies drastically.
Instead of re-summarizing the study in this eNewsletter, I’m going to give you the link to a column about this written by Gina Kolata, the New York Time’s fitness writer. In general, her article was very good. Despite the fact that Kolata only used examples of men and didn’t address women’s additional barriers to changing their bodies, the research reported offers an excellent reminder that fitness is an on-going process instead of a quick or drastic outcome.
To access Kolata’s article:
http://clicks.aweber.com/y/ct/?l=PAaal&m=1dmBLeKNcdq_V9&b=I784_t6G0m7USg1w0_zUBg
I hope you all are doing well. Remember, that these Winter months are the MOST challenging to be physically active all year. The cold weather and gray skies can easily de-motivate and be discouraging.
If you find that you are barely moving your body and feel guilty about it, give yourself a break. Remember, physical activity ebbs and flows with life’s currents and contexts. I find that some women who decide to do “less” physical activity in Winter, often do MORE. Why? If less physical activity is what is realistic for someone, then that’s what they should aim for now. When the weather starts to improve, women who don’t guilt themselves out, naturally discover that they want to move more.The only caveat to this is that moving one’s body is a natural mood elevator. So, if Winter is accompanied by the blues, creating Opportunities to Move, even for 3-10 minutes might really help.
I am currently living in Toledo, Spain with my family. While I wish it were warmer, finding Opportunities to Move here hasn’t been an issue! I’m enjoying the frequent (but hilly) walks to get groceries and do errands.