Finding the right motivation

Last year I tried very hard to get to the gym three times a week. I was tired of how I felt - no energy, no patience, and yucky. I couldn't play with my children for long if we were doing anything active. It was a sorry state to be in, but I have never really taken care of myself. There has always been something else that was more important. I guess I just needed the right motivation.

It has been slow in coming. The first step was enrolling in the Wellness Works program at our YMCA. This program is set up to motivate people by connecting them with a Wellness Coordinator who completes a fitness survey, measures things like flexibility and body fat, then designs a workout plan for each participant. After the initial visit, one meets with his coordinator every 3 months to chart your progress. It was all going fairly well for me. I even figured out that I like classes instead of working out alone in the weight room.

It still wasn't enough though.

Enter my husband's company and their insurance changes. We now have an incentive to get to the gym - the company will pay a portion of our Y membership if we go a certain number of times each six months. Hmm ... I can do this. I didn't make it for the first six months of the year, and I was mad at myself for that. I will do my best to make it for the second six months. That still wasn't quite enough though because it is so much easier to sleep in during summer break.

On top of this my husband's company initiated a wellness challenge to employees and spouses - Walk 10,000 steps a day or get 30 minutes of exercise. My dear husband thought it was a great thing because it got us free pedometers. I thought it was a no-brainer. My husband and I are just a little competitive with each other. I have to beat him! 10,000 steps a day would be a breeze.

WRONG! We had the pedometers for a couple of weeks before the challenge began, and I never did make 10,000 steps. It wasn't for a lack of trying. I would find myself taking the long way around the house just to get more steps. I parked farther out in parking lots (that was tough because I was already almost on the outer limits of any parking lot). I just wasn't making it. It was truly frustrating.

Then I found the right motivation - my beautiful daughters. They are really into Mommy and Daddy getting their steps. They can't seem to understand how big 10,000 is, but they are getting that 7,000 isn't there yet. They check in with us often to see where we are, and they are encouraging us to get outside and walk the neighborhood. Their favorite suggestion is that we need to go to the pool and get some swimming exercise.

And I cannot tell you how I felt the first time that I made my 10,000 steps and the girls cheered for me. We were near the entrance of our subdivision, dancing around on the sidewalk, cheering together like a bunch of maniacs. It was awesome!

This current challenge is in its third week. We have five more to go, and we are doing pretty well. I have met our goal for two out of three weeks. I think my husband has made it all three weeks. Pretty cool, huh?

You want to know the best thing? That we are all doing this TOGETHER. The kids are getting more exercise right along with us. And they are having fun with it.