I’m kind of scared to put this into writing

I’ve been struggling with getting enough exercise since I came back from my trip to the Bowron Canoe Circuit, in the summer of 2006. When I decided to take the challenge to participate in the canoe trip with Tee, I started a fitness routine to get into shape. It was going to be the kind of experience that would challenge my endurance, which it certainly did. Once we returned, however, I set my sights on other goals and exercise routines were set aside.

This response by cowardly lion, over at TMM encapsulates the thoughts I’ve been having lately about health and exercise. Lew and I believe a gulching lifestyle of some sort is in our future. If we struggle with poor, preventable health issues because we didn’t do anything about it now, shame on us. Also, we’d like to take on Bowron as a paddling team sometime during summer of 2009. That only gives me a year to make up the ground (and then some) I’ve lost since I gave up my exercise routine.

In addition, my asthma is getting worse. I’ve taken meticulous strides to work on my respiratory health, because I have to learn to live with my allergies since they won’t be going away any time soon. My sinus issues have gotten much better (I didn’t get sick in December this year YAY!), but the asthma is definitely worse. I know exercise can induce asthma, but that has not been the case here. Lew and I are taking our home environment into account and will start ripping out our upstairs carpet next week. We have enough wood flooring to do most of the upstairs in our home, including our bedroom.

Anyhow, I’m going to pair an exercise routine with my better eating choices I’ve pursued in 2007. It’s scary to write that down, because once it’s out there I can’t take it back. I’d like to have some friends know about my personal commitment, to be my exercise accountability buddies. Exercise is a pretty common New Year’s resolution, but I don’t want to do this as a resolution and set myself up for a self-esteem crushing failure. I’ve done up that crap to the hilt in the past. Instead, I want to change how I do things one small baby step at a time.

The Mayo Clinic has a great article on their website about the 4 elements of a well rounded exercise routine. I’m especially interested in adding some core exercises to my routine to help with my posture and back health. My back felt so much better when I strengthened my core muscles before Bowron.

Exercise is something that I’ve been thinking about, and been letting intimidate me, for an extended length of time. Do you have any issue you’d like to tackle in 2008? It’s all in the baby steps, the first of which is always the most difficult. Sunni brought this up a while ago on her blog, and the night of January 16th, 2008 there will be a party at Sunni’s place to celebrate those tricky, troublesome, and yet so worth it, first steps. I hope to see you there!