Avid Diva - teachings for your new life

Why do you exercise?  Do you want to “loose” weight?  Do you want to be healthy?  Does it matter?  Do you care?

I have two secrets for you.  The first one is that the more you care about keeping your body healthy, the less time you are going to spend at the doctor’s office.  I don’t have to tell you that this would mean exercising carefully as to avoid injury.

Secret number 2:  What you are thinking about while you are exercising will have an impact on the effectiveness of your routine…even on whether or not you will finish said routine.  What do I mean by that?  Test this out, I have.  Let’s say that you are sitting on the stationary bike, pedaling away.  Your mind will naturally move to the rest of your day, specially if you are a busy individual.  That will make you quit sooner and it will probably make the workout seem interminable.  If, however, you play some music and start thinking about how your body is responding to the workout, you will pay more attention, avoid injury (because you are listening to your body) and get a better workout. If you are an imaginative person, you can even imagine yourself running next to Armstrong in a race and try to beat an imaginary friend, your own time, your own pace, etc.  Make it fun for you, but concentrate on the exercise.

I have a trainer, and every time I am doing a set, I try this theory.  I will do one set talking or thinking about something else and I will wear out.  The second set, I imagine I have a mirror in front of me and I pump like I am in some sort of exhibition or doing an exercise video (secret fantasy of mine).  That second set is usually perfect.  What you think, when you do your exercises, is really important.

Now you know I don’t believe in “loosing” weight.  Whatever you loose, you will naturally try to find.  I do believe in shedding pounds.  More importantly, I believe in being healthy.  My suggestion to you is to change your mind set.  If you dread the exercise, you feel like you are being tortured, get out of your own head, find a way of making it fun and stick to it.  The effects are worth the workout and your health is worth more than anything.

I leave you with a picture of me and my trainer, before I knew what a kick butt workout he would deliver.  Thanks Reinaldo.

Does not look intimidating, does he?

I have always admired people that can run.  I see joggers every day, jogging on the beach or in the neighborhoods where I live.  Since I was 9 I’ve wanted to do that, and have never been able to.  As any diva will tell you, never is not in their vocabulary.  I decided I wanted to run.  And then I found a magazine that said “run a little bit, then walk, until you finish your path.  Don’t worry about looking stupid.  Concentrate on increasing the distances you run, every time you try”.  So, Sunday, February 1st, was my deadline.  I would start running.

I follow a route that is approximately 3 miles long (it is a little over 3 miles, maybe more like 3 1/2).  The first half mile I walked as a warm up.  Then I stretched my legs, and I ran.  I counted in my head to 40.  Then I walked until I recovered and ran again, counting to 50.  Again and again until I got to 80.  My goal was to run 5 times during my three mile walk, I ran 9 times.  I stopped counting after 80 because for a beginner, it is hard to count, keep a good pace and breathe all at the same time.  I loved every minute of it, I don’t care if people think I look silly.  I am a diva, silly is not in my vocabulary either.  I am running again today.  This diva wants to be able to run all 3 miles by February 28th.  Let’s see how I do.

Ayer, corrí

Siempre he admirado a los corredores.  Veo personas trotando todos los días, ya sea en la playa o en los vecindarios por donde vivo.  Desde que tengo 9 años he querido hacerlo, y nunca había podido.  Cualquier diva puede decirle que la palabra nunca no está en su vocabulario.  Decidí que quiero correr.  Encontré una revista que decía “corre un poco, luego camina, y sigue hasta que termines tu tramo.  No te preocupes si te ves ridículo.  Concéntrate en aumentar la distancia que corres, cada vez que lo intentes”.  Así que el domingo, primero de febrero, era mi meta.  Comenzaría a correr.

Sigo una ruta que mide aproximadamente tres millas (es un poco más de tres millas, tal vez 3 1/2).  La primera media milla la caminé para calentarme.  Luego hice estiramiento de piernas, y entonces corrí.  Conté para mi hasta 40.  Entonces caminé hasta recuperarme y corrí de nuevo, esta vez hasta 50.  Repetí los intentos hasta llegar a 80.  Mi objetivo era trotar cinco veces durante mi caminata de tres millas, corrí 9 veces.  Dejé de contar cuando llegué a 80 porque, para una principiante contar, mantener pisadas parejas y respirar al mismo tiempo no es tan fácil.  Me encantó, y no me importa si la gente pensaba que se veía ridículo.  Soy una diva, y la palabra ridículo tampoco está en mi vocabulario.  Voy a correr nuevamente hoy.  Esta diva quiere correr las tres millas de ese tramo para el 28 de febrero.  Vamos a ver si lo logro.

Every day I wake up and all I want is to get 30 minutes of exercise in. And on most days, I do it. But the weight stays the same. Some months I loose inches on the top and gain on the bottom. Some times it’s the other way around. The question begs asking: is it worth it?
The answer is obviously YES. When you exercise you are helping your body in many ways. Your bones get stronger, your muscles shape up. Your heart gets stronger, your lungs get cleaner. You have to remember I use to smoke. It takes seven years for your lungs to clean all that crap. I want to cut that in half. I have my work cut out for myself.
Do what you feel comfortable doing, and if you try something new, share it with us.
Keep trying.

I walked five miles yesterday. It was not even hard. After two weeks of very little exercise, I went walking yesterday. I felt good. After that I did some leg exercises, arm exercises. I did not follow any strategy or routine. What I wanted to do was just exercise, to see how I felt. And the weird thing was that I did not wake up sore or tired. Actually, it was the first time in two weeks that I did not wake up with back pain. It was a glorious morning.
So what is the message I want you to get from this? Do whatever you can, whenever you can. Don’t go to sleep without doing something. Even if all you do today is twenty sit-ups or twenty push-ups. It is more than what you did yesterday. Add a 1/2 mile walk tomorrow. Spend twenty minutes on the stationary bike. Do something and keep trying.