Exercise?

Saturday, November 13 Unexpected Exercise – Raking leaves can be such a chore, but it can also be a great way to sneak in some exercise. What are some ways you sneak in some exercise? (And no, we don’t think “Jedi mind tricks” count!)

That was the ADA's suggestion for today's blogging. I had to post it because it just cracked me up.  Jedi mind tricks?  Oh yeah!  How I wish it was that easy.  I've never one that liked exercise.  I took JROTC in high school to get out of PE.  (Turns out I love military history, so it was a good thing.)  When I was working out on a regular basis shortly after my diagnosis, I got to the point where I loved working out.  My day was incomplete without a trip to the YMCA.  However, I had a set back in early 2009 that threw my routine out of whack and it's been hard to get back in the swing of things. 

Since I started subbing at the schools, I've found just teaching to involve unexpected exercise.  I wear a pedometer many days and I found out that when I sub that I wind up with twice as many steps as most of the days when I don't.  Of course on those subbing days I also wind up walking home more often than not which is a little over half a mile, adding a lot of steps.  Teachers are also all over the school plus walking around the classroom as they help their students.  It's tiring but also a lot of fun.

On days when I'm not subbing and I'm not wanting to exercise, I need to remember my motivation.  I'm not exercising for swimsuit season.  I'm not wishing to be a size 5.  I'm not wanting a specific weight.  My motivation is to keep my diabetes in check so I can take a walk with my grandchildren someday, on my own two legs!