Ellie's a very respectable exercising machineYou might have noticed that there has not been a galaxy of sparkling gold stars on the blog lately.
Partly that's because I'm being picky. In the old days (i.e. last year), I'd stick up a star if I got any exercise in for the day, even some easy-paced walking. Now, I want to achieve the specific exercise that I posted or it doesn't count. At first, I wasn't sure if this was being persnickety or holding myself to a higher standard. Maybe both.
I think, on reflection, that it's a bad thing. I should post the exercise I do, even if it's not the exercise I want to do. Otherwise, I'm shooting myself in the foot here.
For example: sometimes I won't have time to jog, but I could slip in a quick* 20 minutes on the elliptical. However, since I'd posted that I would jog, it seems 'not good enough' to do what I can and ellipt. So I'll either not post the star up on the blog, since I didn't do the 'right' exercise, or -- wait for it -- I'll end up skipping exercising altogether for that day. The idea in the back of my mind, vague as it is, is something along the lines of "If I can't do the exercise I want, there's no point in doing any at all." Please feel free to point out that idea is pretty damned stupid. I agree. It's just my perfectionist tendency cropping up in a new guise.
Thankfully, I don't usually fall into that trap -- especially now that I've dragged that vague idea out of the back of my mind and subjected it to the unkind light of analysis. I generally do get in a few miles of walking even if I do nothing else. I keep the running (sic) total on the sidebar up to date.
Goal of the week: The computer is turned off at 7:07 pm. No cheating.
Done! Well... it will be in six minutes. I shan't be leaving any comments on any blogs tonight. Exercise du jour: 8 miles on the bicycle. If I can't do that, I'll at least slip in a couple miles of walking at lunch and 20 minutes ellipticalling when I get home. One way or another, I'm gonna get that star up on this post.
20 minutes on the elliptical. The headache doesn't want to exercise tonight, and I'm humoring him. (No, "the headache" is not a euphemism for a significant other.)*As opposed to a slow 20 minutes. Time expands or contracts during exercise depending on the excellence of the playlist on the iPod.
10 comments:
Good luck meeting your goals.
But the real reason I'm here is to thank you for your kind words on my blog during this latest family ordeal of mine. It was very kind of you and I think kindness should be rewarded with a heart-felt "Thanks!" at the very least.
I'm hoping to be back to my old douche-y self soon enough; but I thought it was only right I should thank all the people like you who took the time to offer such thoughtful sentiments.
So ... thank you!
Thanks for posting your epiphany - now that a stupid hand injury has me sidelined from the exercises I love (rowing and lifting and yoga), it's harder to get up and do the exercise that's good for me (running and lower body weight machines). "If I can't do the exercise I want, there's no point in doing any at all." has definitely led to me putting on those 5 extra lbs. Time to start doing SOMETHING. Thanks for the reminder.
PDS, yes. Exercise is exercise and it should all count. If you count anything, then you are more likely to do something.
You should totally post all your exercise. It's those twenty minutes here and twenty minutes there that add up. Great job!
Remove from your perfectionist brain that idea that if you can't do something "right" to someone else's usually arbitrary standard, that you shouldn't do it at all.
If something is worth doing, it's worth doing. Period.
Get that star.
I'd like to point out that that idea is pretty damned stupid. Your words, not mine.
In reality something is always better than nothing in the exercise world.
Also, can it be Friday yet? It's been a rough week and I need me some Hugh :p
I second the idea that if something is worth doing, it's worth doing. Our family motto (I am not joking, this goes back generations) is: half-assed is good enough.
So post what you do, even if it's just a wander out to the mailbox. It was more than you would have done if the mail hadn't arrived, like if it was Sunday or something.
Wait?! What? No comments on MY blog too?! Oooh, you are so strict!
Julie
(who has way less self control than you do)
I do believe you need to actually be in those shoes for it to count as exercise. Technicality, I know, but you posted the photo.
I've gotten so much elliptical exercise that I'm melting into air, into thin air...
(Why is there never such a thing as fat air?)
Totally agree with celebrating ALL progress, even if not the "scheduled" exercise. Yay for gold stars!
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