Sunday, July 17, 2011

Staying Active

For the last two years my weight and level of activity have been like a roller coaster. I'll get into a three or four month routine of eating well and working out and then quit for no reason, and its usually just when I'm starting to see results. I feel pretty crummy about my body image and it doesn't help that my mom is very judgemental of people who are "overweight" and criticizes me a lot. I'd also like to be in a smaller size for the wedding, but I'm not pushing myself to be so skinny that no one knows who I am - I just want to feel better and I think that's more important than the size on my jeans or a number on a scale.

Andrew and I used to be really active when we first started dating. The town where he used to live was friendly to walking and bikes and we walked or rode our bikes everywhere. There were also lots of nice parks, a few within walking distance, that we would go to in the summer. Where we live now is a totally different story. The main road in front of our house hasn't been paved in about 12 years and is full of potholes and very narrow. There are no sidewalks or bike trails and the parks suck, for lack of a better word. We have to drive 15 minutes to get to a nice park (Blendon Woods) or about 20 minutes to walk at Hoover Reservoir (no, not the one you think I'm talking about). I can't really afford a gym membership right now, but I've got a nice bike and a carrier for my car. Yesterday we took a nice drive down to Lancaster and went to Rising Park where I realized how out of shape I really am while climbing up a pretty steep hill to the top. It was both embarrassing and eye opening.

I'm not really sure what stops me from being more active. Sure, its a little inconvenient to drive to a park to work out, but I'd be doing the same thing if I belonged to a gym. My work schedule is also pretty erratic, I work two 8 hour shifts and two 12 hour shifts a week (7am-3pm or 7am-7pm and sometimes 3pm-11pm). When I have a day off I'm usually worried about getting caught up on housework, doing my grocery shopping and having a little time to relax. I convince myself that scrubbing the bathtub and vacuuming counts as a workout and I don't need to do anything else. Andrew and I have had a lot of long arguments discussions about my "lack of activity" and we've decided to get out and do something three times a week and see how it goes.

Now I'm looking for suggestions - but remember that:
1) We live in the flat lands of Columbus, OH
2) Andrew isn't into workout DVDs but I'm trying to convince him they aren't that bad.
3) We live behind the high school that has a track, bleachers and large open fields.



What would you suggest to keep us more active?

5 comments:

jennifermariefrederick said...

Does the high school have a tennis court? For awhile, Funnel and I were going to a tennis court with rackets we bought at a thrift store and playing tennis.. neither of us had ever played before, but it was really fun and a great workout!

Maybe you guys could do some laps on the track, where you alternate between walking and jogging laps.

Amanda said...

Unfortunately there isn't a tennis court and Andrew loves to play tennis! I think we'll start using the track for walking/running :)

Unknown said...

Do something non-routine every once in a while like play one-on-one soccer or basketball or something. Also, I know how you feel. I've had a few experiences recently that have showed me how out of shape I am. It's awful.

mypixieblog said...

Hello there! I haven't been around these here parts in a while and it looks like you had a total makeover! I like the look :)

Hmm... I was totally going to suggest workout DVDs. Once you try them the first time, they're actually really not that bad. It's just the idea, right? Maybe you can find one that might appeal and challenge you both? I really like the Jillian Michaels DVDs (and they'll REALLY whip your butt in shape--her 30-Day Challenge is phenomenal). Also, if you're home alone, why not turn up your ipod and DANCE, DANCE, DANCE! It's a fun workout without feeling like a workout. You can even be productive and do dishes while dancing or cleaning or something.

Finally, your location behind the track sounds amazing. I would perhaps go in the early evening when the crowds leave (maybe 6-7) and take a few walks around.

When is your wedding?! How very exciting!!!

The Constant Complainer said...

Start running. Plain and simple. Many times that leads to people curbing their diets. But other times, many people can still eat a lot of what they like. And it sounds like you have the land for it. I trained and ran in the last two Cleveland Marathons just to see if I could do it. I don't think you need to go to that level, but I think you might find that you feel better even with some jogging once in a while.