I Hate Exercise.

Ugh. I hate exercise.

I love physical activities...surfing, yoga, rock climbing, and most sports in general...but exercise for the sake of exercise?? Bleh. No thank you. I hate it.

With that said, I have started walking with my mom. She walks twice a day, for 20 to 30 minutes. On her iPhone she has an application that counts your steps, keeps track of your distance and time, and calculates the calories. Since I've gotten home I have joined her once a day for a two mile, approximately 30 minute, powerwalk. We chat and laugh...mom gets a kick out of my himmen-n-haulin'. When we get back I drink a tall glass of water and then do about 15 to 30 minutes of restorative yoga. Each day the walk has gotten easier and less loathsome than the day before. And as much as I hate to admit it, the hour of activity leaves me feeling fresh and revived. My mom said that she takes a walk whenever she feels hungry or sleepy...and then she gets home feeling awake and full. So, you still won't find me going for a run or working out at the gym, but I think that there's something to these mini-mid-afternoon-walks. Plus I get in a little bit of mother-daughter bonding time, which is always good. And with the calories burned, I earn myself an extra glass of red wine at night.....

For all of you exercise-haters out there, I've found that these few bits help me:

1. keep your sneakers and socks by the door, as well as a comfortable outfit to walk in. it's like my theory of leaving the guitar out...if it's in the case, i rarely take it out...but if its just sitting there, when i walk by i pick it up.

2. keep it short and sweet. start out with 15 minute (1 mile) walks. i usually do things 120% and sometimes burn out. if i wasn't on my moms schedule my theory would be "oh man, im gonna kick ass and walk for an hour and a half!!! burn some serious calories!!", and after 3 days of that id be over it.

3. keep it light...if you're walking solo, wear an ipod and jam out to your favorite tunes. or better yet, walk with a buddy -- chatting as you walk makes the time pass, and i find that mom and i push eachother to walk a bit faster...

Benefits of walking

Walking, like other exercise, can help you achieve a number of important health benefits. Walking can help you:

• Lower low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol (the "bad" cholesterol)
• Raise high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol (the "good" cholesterol)
• Lower your blood pressure
• Reduce your risk of or manage type 2 diabetes
• Manage your weight
• Improve your mood
• Stay strong and fit

All it takes to reap these benefits is a routine of brisk walking. It doesn't get much simpler than that. And you can forget the "no pain, no gain" talk. Research shows that regular, brisk walking can reduce the risk of heart attack by the same amount as more vigorous exercise, such as jogging.