Summertime is the perfect time to move your body. Each activity below has a number next to it. If you multiply your body weight by this number, you can calculate how many calories you’ve expended for one hour. Take tennis for an example. Let’s say you weigh 100 pounds. 100 x 3 = 300 calories for one hour of tennis.
Cross country running = 4.44
Racquetball = 3.90
Swimming = 3.48
Mowing grass = 3.06
Tennis = 3.00
Cycling = 2.70
Hiking = 2.52
Golf = 2.34
Walking = 2.16
So, what’s stopping you from moving your body? Shame, embarrassment.
“My name is Angie, I’m 30 years old and I’ve had a life-long weight problem. I weigh 229 pounds. My body is so gross. Do you think I’d put on a swimsuit or wear shorts? No! That’s why I hate summer. I want to join a fitness center, but my shame stops me.”
Angie, here are ways to overcome your embarrassment:
Make an appointment with a personal trainer at the facility you choose and ask them the best time to work out when no one else is present.
Put workout clothes on and cover your body. Wear a hat or hoodie for privacy.
Take music and when you work out, listen to the songs and close your eyes.
Try to understand that the number one reason people join a gym is for weight management. What does that mean for you? The people you see at the fitness center have, like you, struggled with the shame of being large.
Finally, ask yourself this: At what body weight would you stop feeling so humiliated? Then, for each pound lost, praise yourself, as you journey into the shining new sea of fitness.
Two years later: “You don’t recognize me, do you? I’m Angie, and I weigh 149 pounds. I’m swimming now, and I wear a beautiful yellow swimsuit. I’m in the best shape of my life. When I go to exercise, and I see other men and women who are overweight, I want to rush up and tell them: Yes, it takes courage, but you can do it, just move that body!”
I’m too old to exercise:
Bonnie, 77 years old: Well Bonnie, I agree that you’re no spring chicken. But that is why you need to exercise. Regular workouts have the power to give you a longer life. Physical fitness is a proven life-span extender.
Six months later: Bonnie beamed. “Guess what? I began a group fitness program for seniors. It meets 3 times a week. It’s amazing — my muscle strength is growing, I’m less afraid of falling and I’ve made two new friends — Shelly (87) and Alice (92). Guess who the spring chicken is now?”
I’m too lazy to exercise. “My name is Brandon, and I’m 29 years old. I’m 6 foot 8, and my body is like a beluga whale, too lazy to get off the beach. I joined a fitness club and started running, but I quit.”
Brandon, you are not a beluga whale, nor are you lazy. Here is how to boost your motivation so you can develop a life-long exercise habit:
Pick physical activities you like.
Take a friend to your workout.
Have a personal trainer do an assessment of your physical status so you can set attainable goals.
When your mind says, “skip your workout,” don’t listen. Do your exercise and afterwards, ask your body, “Feeling better now?” The answer is always, “yes.”
One year later: With a voice booming with pride, Brandon reported, “For the first time, I ran a mile. My high blood pressure is dropping, and no more insomnia!”
I’m too busy to exercise. “I’m Gordon, and I’m too busy to exercise. Two hours of gym time and poof! I’ve lost billable hours.” Hey Gordon, we’ve heard your pitch before: “Time is money and money is the only honey to sweeten life.” So, how sweet is this? Your sour disposition and anger — which you douse with alcohol — has hurt your family. Here are the benefits of physical fitness: Your mind is faster and clearer, your stress levels fall, so you reduce days lost to illness, and you add years to your lifespan. One year later: “My wife saw my anger go away, as well as my drinking. She came back to live with me. How did I accomplish such powerful changes in my life? I moved my body.
Conclusion: Our bodies are the vessels, the valiant ships that carry us, as we circumnavigate the globe, voyaging from sea to sea, port to port, birth to death. On these ships, we sail the waterways of our lives, using our clever minds to catch the wind, and our spirit to guide us.
If our ships have sturdy hulls, even keels, and most importantly, if we tend to their never-ending need for repair and refurbishment, then we can survive the gale force winds of hurricanes and typhoons. By learning how to care for your body, you make it sounder. In return, soundness of body, mind and spirit makes you seaworthy and unsinkable. So, move your body today!
References: 1. “The Fitness Professional Manual,” NETA, 2014. 2. “Understanding Your Health,” Payne, 2009.
Dr. Richard Elghammer contributes his column to the Journal Review each week.
