Before I “retired” from medicine to invest my energy in Am I Hungry? Mindful Eating Programs and Training, I often heard patients say, “But I HATE to exercise.”
The truth is, I do too.
But I LOVE to walk, hike, do yoga, and try new things. So, I do what I love and I love what I do!
Love What You Do
During our 25th anniversary dream-trip to Italy, we experienced the benefits of built-in activity. One morning, we took a ferry to Positano and walked along the streets shopping. Before we knew it, we were at the top of this hill:
The Italian Treadmill
We walked nearly everywhere we went, often taking steep stairs or uphill inclines without thinking twice. I started calling it the Italian Treadmill or Italian StairMaster (see more photos on the Am I Hungry? Facebook page).
Not once did I stop to check a fitness tracker to see how many steps I’d taken.
Believe me, there were many times I thought, If I was on vacation all the time or had this view, it would be SO much easier to be active! Then I realized that most Italians probably don’t walk around thinking that. They just do it because it is part of their daily life.
So where in your daily life could you build in more movement? (See ideas in chapter 17 of Eat What You Love, Love What You Eat.)
Do What You Love
One of the problems with the old show, The Biggest Loser, was that it made exercise look so hard and painful. No wonder they had to have a trainer screaming in the contestants’ faces all week!
It doesn’t have to be like that.
During our trip, we hiked the Cinque Terre, five quaint villages on the rugged coast of the Italian Riviera. Not once did I throw up or stop to check my heart rate.
Maybe hiking isn’t your idea of fun times. No problem. What is then? Take the Exercise Personality Quiz in Chapter 24 of Eat What You Love, Love What You Eat to help you figure it out!
Mindful Movement Mantras
I want to challenge you to do two things for your well-being:
- Look for opportunities to build movement into your daily routine.
- Figure out what kind of physical activity or exercise you like to do (or might like to do) and try it.
I know it’s easier said than done. I hope these mindful movement mantras from our Am I Hungry? Companion Cards will inspire you:
- I was born to move!
- I am a fit and active person.
- I am amazed at my body’s capacity to build more stamina and grow stronger and more flexible each day.
- If I’m too busy to exercise, I’m too busy!
- Regular physical activity is more beneficial than almost anything else I could do with my time, and gives me more energy for living my life.
- I do what I love and love what I do!
If you enjoyed this article, here are three more to help you:
Change Your Thoughts about Exercise
Not getting enough exercise? Lower the Bar
