Sometimes just dancing or listening to music can make your day easier or give you the energy to clean up the house! (Okay, maybe not the latter.) Music can be calming or exciting. It can remind you of old times or just get you moving. Remember, sitting is the new smoking. So let’s get up and boogie!

Is movement a part of your exercise regime? It’s easy enough, right? Whether it is walking, jumping rope, lifting weights, dancing, walking to the mailbox, walking the mall or bowling. (Don’t ask. It was just on my mind.)

I used to move or workout regularly – body-building, jogging/running, walking, and jumping rope, were just a few of my exercise regimes. In fact, my last 3 blogs have been about my body-building – Stand up straight, marathoning – Injury-free marathon & Marathon felt like and roller-blading activities – Rollerblading adventure. I’m glad to say, I’m now back in the groove, with my workouts.

Why Did I Stop Working Out?
I don’t know why I fell off the fitness wagon? When I first wrote this blog a few weeks ago, I was asking for your advise about how to start again and stay motivated. I’ve had to change that a bit now. But I still need your input, because skipping one or two sessions can easily make us renege on maintaining the “fitness habit”. Still, there were a few things which seemed to make a difference already.

The First Fix
I wonder if it was simply because I said I would post my workouts on Twitter, that’s kept me on track. (It’s probably more than that, I hope. But you know how telling the world you are starting something keeps you honest.) Even if no one is watching, I’m making sure I follow through with weight-training, at least 3 times per week. I am tweeting it! That takes care of the anaerobic part, now for the aerobic part. Or can one do either, varying timing and intensity and positively impact the whole body? 

A Mechanical Device
The Garmin, which replaced my old Fitbit was okay, but then I lost the Garmin and I didn’t have any pedometer for the longest time. I noticed I was sitting a lot more! Ugh!

Now that I have another Fitbit, keeping track my steps, I walk more. The Fitbit alerts me to calls, lets me know when I’ve sat too long and sends a bit of each incoming text message to me. (I even walked over 14,000 steps a day, in Paris, on a fractured toe. I didn’t know it was fractured until I got back here.)  School started and I thought, “My toe has been hurting for a month now, maybe I need to have it checked out.” I know as we get older, things take longer to heal, but dog-gone-it! It should not still hurt a month later! Yep, Urgent Care said it was fractured. This is the last week in my boot. Yea!!!!

Let’s get back to those mechanical devices. I have a friend, Toni, who when she finds herself several hundred steps short of her fitness goal – she dances! Yes, I’ve seen her routine and the steps add up quickly when she dances. Writing here about physical activity and body image, has helped me move even more!

What Counts?
What motivates you? Do you need a workout or accountability partner? What’s the best thing you have tried that you would suggest for me, when I start slipping?

I don’t anticipate slipping, but I need to have a couple of hacks in my back pocket, just in case. Please send your ideas my way on Twitter @hwrichard or post them below.

“I do not try to dance better than anyone else. I only try to dance better than myself.” – Mikhail Baryshnikov

Dr. Harriette