One Hour Of Exercise A Day

Photo courtesy m_bartosch / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

One hour of exercise a day is what The Journal of the American Medical Association recommends for aging women just to maintain their weight. I try to swim an hour a day. Sometimes I am successful, sometimes I am not.

Researchers followed more than 34,000 middle-aged women for 13 years. They measured their weight and activity level, and found those who exercised at least 60 minutes a day gained fewer pounds over time than those who clocked less time in the gym or on the track.

This is a real wake up call for me. After reading the information that has been published I am going to make more of a commitment each day. How about you?

Self Help

I read a quote by George Carlin today about self help that made me laugh!
I went to a bookstore and asked the saleswoman, "Where's the self-help section?" She said if she told me, it would defeat the purpose.

I thought that was pretty funny, and then I paused for a moment to think about helping ourselves. I have been very lucky in my life to have had parents and mentors who have been there for me. They have guided me when I have needed it, but they have always given me the space to succeed or fail. And believe me I have had success, but I also know what failure feels like. There have been times in my life I wish someone would have stepped in and done something for me, but in the long run I am grateful they let me make my own choices.

I recognize the fact the I am accountable for my own actions and the decisions I have made along the way. I am motivated to find new ways to do things. I am sometimes afraid to try to do new things. For me it is best that I just jump in with both feet without thinking about it. That is when I have had my most satisfying experiences. When I stop, look around and then jump is when I have a tendency to fall.

I am very happy that I have had many people in my life like the saleswoman who have nudged me to help myself! They have also given me the ability to laugh at myself!