Excuses...

Okay...I spent the last weekend dog training, and helping out a team from Virginia do some dog testing... overall a fairly successful weekend, with 4 out of the 5 dogs testing.





Now, for the reason for my post - and I in no way intend to insult anybody or anything, and names will be left out... but I'm tired of people who make excuses for not exercising or not getting healthy.





I'm guilty of it, I know that, and I really am not trying to preach. But, think about it, if we made excuses for everything that inconvenienced us during our lifetime, or that we didn't want to do, or that was uncomfortable..... we would all die at the age of 3o because we wouldn't go to the doctor, we would all be uneducated because school is hard, and we wouldn't make any money and all be poor because we don't really 'want' to work, right???





I'm a dog handler that runs a trailing dog... I walk a lot. I found myself getting out of breath, and not being able to keep up while I was trailing after my dog, or other dogs....and I panicked when the scale got above what I've ever been in my entire life. I've been told I am not fat, but I didn't feel comfortable in my own body, and decided to do something about it.





I have struggled with my weight my entire life. It's a product of my genetics, it happens, I really can't help it. Coming from German and Hungarian ancestors, the tendency to get a bit "stocky" is an understatement! But, I don't have to let it get the best of me!





Maybe because I hit my 40's, and want to be able to continue to be a dog handler for a very long time. Maybe it's because I had my daughter later in life, and want to be able to do things with her in the yard, or ride bikes with her and not get out of breath, or feel like I'm going to die. Maybe I just wanted to fit better in my clothes, and not feel like a huge blob all the time... I don't know, but I decided that it was time to STOP MAKING EXCUSES about not wanting to exercise...and find a way to fit it into my routine.





That's right.....ROUTINE. I'm a busy person. I work full-time, I have a 6 1/2 y/o daughter, I have to get her from school every day, and get dinner on the table, then get her ready for bed, and wind-down at night in time to get up and do it all again! When the hell was I ever going to fit in a half an hour a day to exercise... well - I did, and continue to do so...because I schedule it into my routine. 4 or 5 times a week! It's about making sure that I fit it in, and making sure that it happens.





Yes...there are times when I don't want to. But, I think about the fact that I have to do something after work the next day, or go out of town, or clean the house....and dammit, I better get it in today, or I'm not going to be able to get my 4 or 5 times exercise in this week.





That's it... plan it, FIT IT IN!





I am a member in a large community of volunteers that has to work next to Law Enforcement every day, to help THEM do their job finding missing people. What do you think their impression of us is when an overweight person gets out of the truck, that looks like they might get lost or die in the process of finding the lost or dead person??? I know, I know, some law enforcement are questionable in the health department...but still. Why would you portray that image?





I go to conferences and seminars all the time, and am AMAZED at the overweight - out of shape people there are. How the hell do you expect to be able to work a scene for 5 hours, walking acre after acre of an area, or mile after mile of a trail? Really? It's a liability for all involved to have you out in the field.





So, I got a little angry at someone for making excuses about why they couldn't exercise. This person worked a lot, and trained...yada yada... There is absolutely NO EXCUSE for not walking half an hour or fitting something in for half an hour every day. Can't fit it in at night? do it in the morning! Tired after work??? bet it will make you feel better. Plus, you eat less after you exercise!!! because you just don't feel like it. Eat less, exercise... isn't that how you lose weight and get healthy???





All the excuses in the world aren't going to hide the fact that something else is going on... or you're just going to be that way for the rest of your life. There's no excuse for not fitting 1/2 hour of time out of your day to dedicate to yourself! We like to pamper ourselves, get massages, go buy something...whatever - displace that time with exercise! When you start seeing the results, you'll want to do it more than ever.





I've heard and used excuses all my life...and at 41... I'm just finally tired of hearing and using them myself.





And most of all..... I want to instill in my daughter that living a lazy, television, video game, technology overwhelmed life is not the way to live! Go outside, enjoy the sunshine, the birds, the trees! Take a walk, look at the earth around you! Even THAT will make most people feel better!!!

It's EASIER to sit on the couch and not exercise... but I've learned that life isn't supposed to be easy... and how much better is it to accomplish that first mile on the treadmill??? It CAN happen! You need to take the first step.