I was told many years ago by an intuitive that I needed to get active and exercise. I was 23, in good shape and generally healthy. Exercise was a chore in my mind and one I did not want to do. I ignored the advice and continued with my life as it was. I slowly started to gain weight, so slowly I really didn't realize it. I was going up at about one pants size a year. About six months before I found the cancer something kicked in and told me to get healthy. Finally I started exercising. I recorded some work out programs that came on during the day while I was at work and started doing them after work.
Enter cancer....as you can imagine, it changes everything. Not only was I not concerned about working out, I didn't feel like it physically or mentally. I can't say there is a connection between working out and staying fit and preventing cancer, and sometimes I wonder if I had taken the advice years earlier if things would have been different, but of course I'll never know. From treatments, surgery and total lack of energy I was my heaviest at 143. I carried it pretty well but being 5'3.5" I started to have flabby arms and a slight double chin. By this time I was 27 still trying to squeeze into size 9 pants but really needing an 11; at 23 I was in a size 3.
One day I looked in the mirror and decided that was enough. My radiologist had talked to me about being healthy and good choices and the best things I could do to try to prevent the cancer from returning; of course exercise was on that list. She told me all you really need is 20 minutes a day of physical activity that gets your heart pumping. Apparently this 20 minutes of heart pumping exercise can help put you in very good health. It can help with circulation, keep your heart healthy, can help you become more active and help get you on track to get in shape.
I started my efforts with the saying in my mind "just 20 minutes". After work I'd come home and even if I was tired I would practically chant "just 20 minutes" on the way home and then make myself do the 20 minute of work when I got there. It worked! I use YouTube and I love the FitnessBlender station. That is my go-to to pick out whatever I'm feeling for the day. I slowly moved working out to early in the morning and loved that. I had so much energy the rest of the day it was great! I started loosing weight and got my strength, flexibility and endurance back. Then life happened and so now I work out with a group at work on our lunch break. I really enjoy that too but on days we don't I still go to the FitnessBlender. After a good work out or the day after I love to get in some yoga to help stretch and strengthen my body and keep me flexible, plus I find it soooo relaxing (I don't do the intense yoga or crazy positions, lol).
With healthy eating (and some cheating, eek!), I am now down to 120.5 and I'm in between size 3 and 5 pants. It's taken about a year from the time I started toying with the idea of working out. It's been about 9 months of actually working out regularly. I feel so much better, I love my body now, not just because I look so much better (even with the double mastectomy and reconstruction!) but because I've learned to really love my body and my self and to take care of the vessel God chose for me to have in this lifetime. I'm by no means perfect and some days I still judge my body but overall I feel great and look great and I can feel Spirit able to move through and work through my body.
I encourage you to try "just 20 minutes" a day, anytime of day to just get started. Please leave questions or comment with your favorite exercise routine or things that help keep you motivated! Stay tuned for healthy eats tomorrow. Love & Blessings!
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