"No Sweat!"

I have claimed for the last year that I do aerobic housekeeping for exercise. I am sure that if someone were to put a pedometer on me that I would show I have racked up about 5 miles a day just picking up toys and dirty clothes! Yelling at kids is certainly aerobic as well. And lugging a 40 pound 4 year old in your arms or on your back HAS to account for SOMETHING!

Yet I'm only kidding myself. Until I am outside raking leaves or pushing a plow behind a horse, simple housework tasks are not enough exercise. It is not that I hate exercise! I just kinda FORGET to do it. And forget and forget and forget.

Years ago, when I was 27, kayaking 5 miles a day, riding my bike back and forth to work and all around the Monterey Peninsula just for fun, roller skating on Fisherman's Wharf on the weekends, playing racquet ball with perfect strangers at the club and discussing my starting program for body building competition with one of the local trainers, I was in really good shape. I didn't even THINK about exercise because every waking minute there was something new and exciting to do. When I left the house, it would be just as clean when I returned home that night. I worked for someone else, and I used to joke that I worked from 8 am to 5 pm, and then I would be on vacation from 5 pm until 8 am the next day. Yes, this was pre-kids, post-divorce, pre-boyfriend and pre-business woman days.

I know all those fun activities are still available to me. Hey, I went kayaking this last weekend and blew the doors off my nearest competitor in a short sprint! However, this was more because I have good form than good muscle strength. But honest to goodness , I only have about 2 minutes for exercise, and if I don't do it almost IMMEDIATLY upon rolling out of bed, I am probably not going to get around to it.

Determination took me back to the olden days, and I suddenly remembered a yoga exercise I used to do each morning that was as good as 15 extra minutes of sleep and I have since heard is a total body workout. Here it is for you, it is called "Salutation to the Sun." Just roll out of bed onto the floor and do it. It takes about 2 minutes, and if this is all you can do each day, at least it is a start!!!

Each position rolls gently into the next, and takes you in a cycle from start to finish, which is really the starting position all over again. You can repeat this stretching exercise up to 12 times.

"Haste is a form of violence."

You are now back to where you started! The whole thing took about 2 minutes, and if you feel really good, try it again. Repeat up to 12 times. Do a few in the morning, and a few in the evening as well! This is both an energizing and a relaxing exercise, all in one. Just fall out of bed and DO IT!

I must admit that this is going to be difficult, returning to an active lifestyle. I sometimes think that just chasing kids and yelling at them should constitute high level aerobic exercise, but then reality bites, right in the ol' flabby butt. Somehow someone has got to come up with exercises that trick you, just like the Zone Diet has tricked you into losing cutting back calories without being hungry.

So what's a couch potato to do???

Here are a few suggestions that you might find fun, and I will add more as I run across them. Let me know what YOU do for exercise, or want to do, and I will post it here:

Country Line Dancing-- I was amazed at how sore all this fun left me feeling the next day! It is something you can do completely by yourself, and I swear you will be laughing so hard, you won't even realize you are exercising! Unlike an exercise like aerobics, it is very low impact, it doesn't require any special equipment (no, even the boots and 10 gallon hat are optional), and it is a cheap date or great way to MEET someone.

Find a Country Western Bar, and find out when they offer the beginner's instruction. A simple phone call is all it takes, and you will find that they have free classes for families or groups. Talk some of your fellow office workers into going with you. You will probably feel like a klutz at first, but when you see how many OTHER klutzes are out on the floor, you can't help but have a good time! Then at the end of the evening, you will realize that THIS is what exercise is supposed to be--FUN!

Walking -- Get some good shoes and a friend or two to make the commitment to walk together. I love doing this, but if I don't have someone to do it with, I don't do it.

Exercise Equipment-- I just found out that buying it and having it in your house does not count as exercise. You actually have to USE it. Drat. If it folds up too neatly out of the way, you will find it only takes up valuable closet space. If it takes up too much room, you won't keep it set up every day. If it makes too much noise (like rowing and bicycling machines or tread mills) you won't be able to watch TV to take your mind off the boredom while you are doing it. Find your best deals at thrift stores, dumped there by folks who found they didn't work for them without using them either. Here are some criteria I use for choosing:

1. It has to be fun to use!

Air Bouncer Chair -- I found this chair that you just BOUNCE in, like an adult Johnny-jumper seat. I tingled all over for about 15 minutes after only 5 minutes of use, but the $400 price tag precluded its purchase.

Air walker -- I have actually added this one to my birthday wish list. It is fun, funny and quiet, low impact and VERY aerobic. They come with poles which you hold onto so it works your upper body as well as your lower body. Very easy on your joints, doesn't take the coordination of a cross country ski machine. I found one model that not only had a calorie and exertion counter, it also had a handy shelf in front of you to hold a water bottle. It doesn't take any adjusting, and it was as easy for me to use as for my 4 year old and all sized kids in between. Takes up less room than a treadmill and you can even do it barefoot. Like I said, this one is coming home for my birthday! About $200.

Sit-up machine -- For working out your abs, they started out around $200, but are now down to around $30. They are funny to watch people use, but they will amaze you at how little time is required to really work those abs! I try to use mine 3 times a week, and as long as I don't hang my clothes on it on my off days, I can find it and use it...Only takes about 5-10 minutes to use for beginners.

Recumbent bicycle -- These are easier on your lower back and knees, and many of them have optional rowing machine features. I like the ones that have a resistance fan in the front. Not only does it alter the resistance without having to mess with buttons and dials, but the fan cools you off as well! In the biking position, you can even read a magazine or book with your hands since they are free. Forget trying to watch TV with these. Too noisy. Start at $150.

These are only suggestions. If you are an avid exerciser, I know all these musings make no sense to you, but for those of you who are like me and understand, let's just keep thinking about it, talking about it, and one wondrous day, maybe we will even wake up and DO IT!!!

Karen