Getting Fit Physically and Emotionally: Three Ideas that Work!

When I moved to Colorado years ago to be with the man that I eventually married, I found a new way of looking at exercise and being fit. I moved from Texas where often times it was too hot to exercise outside. The popular thing to do was to "go to lunch" or "go to dinner." In other words, socializing was centered around eating. People would go to the gym or run outdoors but that was usually separate from social interaction.

Moving to the mountains in Colorado was different where all socializing is centered around exercise. It took some time to get used to. instead of going out to lunch, we hike up a mountain. I wasn’t in shape physically in the beginning but what I learned first was that I liked to exercise even more because it revolved around talking and being with friends. A positive emotional experience became associated with exercise. In a sense, I became emotionally fit even before I became physically fit.

I also learned to try new things. The day my car rolled into Colorado, my husband, Art, (boyfriend at the time) handed me roller blades, a  mountain bike and hiking shoes. I had never roller bladed and believe me, THAT was a funny thing to watch. I was horrible, but the more I did it, the better I got. It was also incredible exercise. We laughed a lot as we did it and once again it was something we did together and despite the fact that I wasn’t good, I loved doing it with Art.

For the past five years we are both doing Bikrams Yoga together. We both like heat so it was a perfect match. We often have our "date night" be going to yoga, then stopping off at a restaurant afterwards for a bar menu. Once again, the key is that positive feelings surround the exercise. I get emotionally fit and physically fit at the same time.

Here are a few suggestions about getting fit to where the emotional and physical coincide:

1. Try to find physical activities that are associated with positive feelings. If you are social, find a physical sport to do with others you enjoy. A friend of mine walks very early in the morning with some other moms before the kids wake up. In the winter they all go to a spinning (bike) class together. If you like alone time, put your head phones on to a book on tape while you exercise. Create your own joy with the exercise.

2. As you commit to exercise, try also to balance what you are eating. The key word is balance. Don’t deny yourself everything. Maybe instead of ice cream, have a smoothie. Or instead of potato chips, go to pita chips. Change from white bread to whole grains. Go a little at a time. When I tell myself I can’t have something, I want it all the more. Find ways to make healthier choices and do it as gradually as you need to make it a positive association.

3. Find things to do that your loved ones enjoy. I watched a mother the other day jogging and her kids were biking right next to her. The kids were encouraging their mother to keep going. It was a very sweet picture…one in which all involved were benefitting. Another idea is to make your date night revolve around exercise or go to dinner with a friend after you work out together.

The key to all of this is balance as well as positive association. When you keep things balanced AND keep it positive, it draws you back. The key to getting fit is to have the exercise continue on, not just go on for a week or a month. It’s a life style change. When you start to really feel good then you want to keep doing it.

So, let’s get started!