“The path of least resistance is the path of the loser.” H. G. Wells
When I began this focused health program, I began riding my stationary bike for only 10 minutes. I have been gradually increasing the minutes so that presently I do 15 minutes. I have also begun spending 10 minutes lifting 3 pound weights Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Last week I began doing some very light yoga exercises following a DVD of Leslie Stansone’s whose goal is to help those who are really not very fit. I would like to continue that practice doing those exercises Tuesday and Thursday mornings. I don’t have any formal program for the weekends except that I hope to incorporate more walking outside. I know I need to walk more often outside but I have been trying to introduce everything gradually – which is really difficult for me.
This morning I was still feeling a lot of the effects from a rather difficult weekend. When I finally pushed myself out of the bed, I felt very dizzy and weak and I rolled back onto the mattress and slipped under the covers. However, my self-talk was distracting me: “I can’t go downstairs to ride my bike. Oh dear, what if I begin to slack off? I don’t even want to get out of bed let alone exercise. Oh you whiner. Do you remember reading about Michael J. Fox who must go through excruciating pain every morning in order to rise out of bed, but he does it? You need more self-discipline.”
While I was beating myself up with my self-talk, Greg asked me if I was going to go downstairs to exercise. I told him I didn’t think so. Thankfully, my husband knows me often better than I know myself. He said, “ Just sit on the bike and see if you can pedal for 10 minutes. Knowing you, you can’t go downstairs since you don’t think you can ride the bike longer than ten minutes and you want to lift weights on top of it.” After he left for work, I lay in bed and I asked myself a very important question: Will my symptoms get any worse if I ride that bike for ten minutes?
As long as I don’t over do it, I knew that the exercise would probably help the circulation in my legs and might even help the pain.
I proceeded to put on my shorts and top, and went downstairs to ride my bike. I rode slowly and as usual at a low tension and at times I used my hands to push my legs down to pedal. But when I stopped, my self-talk was no longer negative. I was now saying, “Way to go, Gayle! I am going to make it. I am going to become healthy since I am prepared to do what it takes!”
It would have been so easy to choose the path of least resistance and to surrender to the pain, dizziness and weakness and convince myself that it justified my resting and not exercising. However, that choice may have been the easiest, but I have resolved to do the hard things and do nothing to hinder my resolve to optimize my chance to be healthy.
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