This is so silly, but it's true.
When I was a young teen in middle school, my son's age, my mom had a heart attack. It was scary for her, for me, and for everyone. After her heart attack, she had to change her ways. She had to start exercising. She hated exercising. I loved it. In fact, now that I'm doing it consistently again, I love it even more than I ever have.
Mom and I used to walk football field tracks or go to a lake and walk the bike path. Mom trudged along, and back then, I used to run. We'd often go swimming. Mom would just tread water and kind of be in the water, but I'd swim a few laps, jump off the board, dive, swim under water, etc.
Mom had to take classes on how to exercise and heart health. She learned one very important rule in all this: Most heart attacks happen between 4 and 7 in the morning.
Ah, the cardinal rule was born and instilled into me: You NEVER exercise in the morning. Ever.
Fast forward to all these years. I have had a fear of exercising in the morning. And now you al know where that fear came from. Today I broke the rule.
I got up before 7 and by 7:30 (hey, that's early for me!), I was working out.
I LOVED it. Oh my gosh, I did my two workouts for a little more than an hour, was showered and dressed and ready to start the day. I have had more energy today than I've had in a long time. See, I'm not a morning person and I just don't wake up until early afternoon, which was my choice time to work out.
I think sometimes we need to get over our fears or what we have learned to accept as normal from our pasts and try new things. That goes for everything: food, exercise, issues, etc.
This is something I'm really going to try to institute into my life: MORNING exercise.
My mom has been gone for 16 years, and I don't think she'd mind now if I broke her rule. It would be amazing if I materialized into a morning person. That just might happen!
Jo, that's very insightful. I think there are lots of us who probably struggle with some fears, probably the older we are...the more we have. Congratulations to you on overcoming your fear of mornings!!! Great way to start the New Year!!!
ReplyDeleteI'm a morning exerciser and I wouldn't have it any other way. Well...I don't really have time to have it any other way, but even if I did, morning exercise really starts my day off right and leaves me much more alert, even on days when I'm exhausted. I love it!
ReplyDeleteI like your blog/writing.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was 10 ..I woke up to hearing my maternal grandmother having a heart attack. My mom told me to go back to my room and I crawled under the covers, faced my yellow wall and prayed. She died that morning,
I mostly forgot about it until the last couple of years as my mom began noticeably aging. then in early mornings ..I began remembering again. She died this past April, and I often have these memories in those wee hours of the morning.
I think exercising through that is great. maybe someday soon ..i will get myself up and out early and become healthier vi8a weight loss and exercise.
I don't get exercise due to arthritic knees but I could be swimming at the Y. i am too young to give in to it... but I have been.
I want my life back.
Keep up the good work. :)
Sometimes if I can get up and exercise early enough, I can convince myself that it's just a really bad dream...
ReplyDeleteWhat a break through, Jo! Glad you found your energy after the workout - that is great! Usually after I get done with my morning workout I veg in front of my computer reading blogs.
ReplyDeleteI love morning exercise, it sets the tone for my entire day, however...it sucks in winter. I just want to sleep lol.
ReplyDeleteI love morning exrcise as well. I am morning person for sure. I had a cousin that was telling me she talked with a sleep specialist and he told her that it is very hard to change from morning to a night person. It's like your programed. Your early...7 AM....is my late.
ReplyDeletelike everything, it's all relative! Hope you had a good Christmas.
Keep up the good work!
If it doesn't happen in the morning, it's just too easy to make excuses. I'll bet it felt great taking that shower knowing that you had already accomplished so much before the day was even in full gear.
ReplyDeleteI work the afternoon shift so my "early" in the morning is probably 8-9 am :) And i'm so not an early person!
ReplyDeleteGood for you on working through that fear.
That's awesome...sometimes change for change sake is a invigorating for the routine.
ReplyDeleteI personally like evening exercise during the work week since it gives me a hard excuse to leave work, otherwise my workaholic ways would probably keep standing in the way.
I think you getting healthy is the best tribute you can give to your mom. She is smiling, I'm sure.
I love exercise in the morning. I'm sure your mom is very proud.
ReplyDeleteI prefer to do mine in the morning as opposed to the afternoon. I find if I do it in the afternoon (I can't fall asleep when I should)
ReplyDeleteI'm so proud of you..You continue to inspire me!
I tried exercising in the morning once...I did my walk, came home and realized my shirt was inside out...ugly.
ReplyDeleteI leave morning to those strange individuals who like to see sunrises...me, I lounge around..a creature of the night lol.
I'm a morning exerciser. I do it first thing, whenever my morning begins. During the work week, that usually means I'm going by 4:45 or so. On the weekends I might actually not get to it until 7-8. The benefits for me are
ReplyDelete1. not many cars on the road if I choose to run outside;
2. no interruptions from friends, family, or phone;
3. If I wait until the evening there are too many things that can come up to stop me. So by going in the morning it's over and done and the day is mine.
I hope you completely conquer that fear and get your morning workout on as much as you can!
Happy New Year Jo.