First, Andrea asked me to, and I adore Andrea. Plus, she told me she believes that stress is one of the biggest factors in our health and exercise has been shown to decrease stress, two things I wholeheartedly believe.
Let me tell you a bit about myself now and why Andrea picked me to write about exercise. I am a 51-year-old, married, mother of three teenaged boys and I am a dentist. My life is busy! We started our family later so my first born came when I was 33 and my youngest at age 39. I know how quickly a body can decline based upon my personal experience with long term bedrest. I witnessed my mother in her early 60’s, who looked physically fit and healthy, receive a diagnosis of severe osteoporosis. She went through physical and occupational therapy since she had the bones of a 90-year-old woman. Later, I watched her battle ovarian cancer and succumb to it by age 72 after a 5-year battle. I was recently diagnosed with Graves Disease and when I researched the potential causes, stress was the one that stood out to me.
So how do I talk myself into adding exercise in my life? I motivate myself by thinking “why do I want to exercise”. My motivation takes many shapes. It is not about looking good in a bathing suit or a tight-fitting dress. My motivation is my children. I want to be an active grandmother, one who can help take care of my future grandchildren, get on the floor and play with them, be able to take hikes, travel and lift them. My motivation is my fear of cancer. My family has cancer on both sides, so I know my risk factors. Exercise helps decrease my risk plus, the fitter going into treatment the better. My motivation is healthy bones. Weight bearing exercise will help me with my risk of osteoporosis.
Even though those things encourage me to want to incorporate exercise into my life, what motivates me to get off the couch? It is surfing. I forgot to mention, I live in the central part of the US surrounded by corn and soybean fields, nowhere near the ocean. So why surfing? My husband and I took a surf lesson while on vacation in Mexico in 2012 and were hooked. Since then, we travel several times a year to destinations where there are waves. Surfing is quite the physically demanding sport so keeping fit is key!
People often ask me if I am afraid of sharks and truthfully, I say no. I am more afraid of hitting my head on a rock or coral reef or drowning while being pounded in the whitewash if I got caught on the inside. Surfing for me keeps me motivated to weight train, swim, yoga and some cardio work just so I feel comfortable paddling out. It’s a sport that has a huge mental component and when I am not fit, it causes me to lose confidence in the water.
Another thing I love about surfing is once you get out past the breaking waves and float on the water, it’s peaceful. Stress goes away. Seeing the Humpback whales, turtles, fish, dolphins, pelicans and other birds nearby is pure joy. I feel God’s presence when I am in nature. Surfing is a social sport; it is safer to surf with a buddy or group of friends.
What would I tell you to find your motivation to exercise…find something personal, make exercise a lifelong commitment, learn proper technique by asking for help, workout with a buddy or a group class, celebrate your accomplishments!"
