Health Habits: Exercise

Let's talk about my exercise habit.

I have been walking for exercise for quite a few years now. It's nearly a daily habit. I walk for 30 minutes or about 1.5 miles, usually on a track very close to our home.  While I have lifted weights in a gym in the past, it is not part of my current routine. I know that long term it would be best to get back to do something in addition to walking for my physical health. 

As I set out this month to make some improvements, I decided to extend the length of my walk to 2 miles, or 40 minutes of walking in an effort to increase my walking time closer to an hour. It is quite warm and humid where I live so anything beyond 40 minutes, even in the early morning is a little too taxing on my body. As the weather cools, I think it will be easy to walk longer.

In choosing to add something else to my routine, I felt something simple was the first step. I need to develop the habit of simply doing something first. I can expand it after I make it more of a habit. At least that is how I am thinking about it right now. I wrote down squats and pushups and then remembered the nitric oxide dump (NOD) workout, which takes just four minutes. Several people demonstrate it on YouTube, but I like this one by Dr. Zach Bush. 

So far, I have opted for the NOD workout every time. I have been inconsistent on when I do the exercises. I did them once before I left the house for my walk. I did them twice after my walk. And another day I did the exercises in the moments before I got into the shower. I need to get the 'when' of this habit figured out, but ultimately just doing the exercises is the most important. 

I am in the baby step part of building my habits this month. It all counts, we have to begin somewhere. We often declutter a drawer before we take on a full closet. We need practice and experience to build our physical muscles, just as we do the decluttering muscle. This is my own reminder that I should be kind to myself as I work out what my new workout habit is. 

Do you do strength training? If you do it at home, when do you do it?