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Making Time For Exercise

By Donna S. Ginter

"You really can't take care of anyone else until you take care of yourself."

For many women the concept of taking care of ourselves first, seems selfish, almost foreign, in fact. Admittedly, it is a tough concept to grasp but it is also one that proves itself quickly if you give it an honest try.

As a fitness trainer, my clientele is mostly women; women with children, husbands, families, and responsibilities. A common complaint I hear is the lack of time these women feel they have to devote to exercise. When we discuss the concept of taking care of ourselves first to truly take care of our loved ones; I inevitably get someone who says, "I'm doing the best I can. I do everything for my family and nothing for me." However, therein lies the flaw.

When we do not attend to our own needs and do for everyone else, we lose the balance in our lives, and everything, including our loved ones feels like a burden. When we feel burdened, we have difficulty experiencing the joy in life and eventually we get depressed, literally, "weighed down." This "weighed down" feeling manifests in our physical beings and we become overweight, lethargic and out-of-shape.

Our body becomes a stranger, and sometimes even the enemy. We tuck all of our insecurities and unresolved emotions into muscles and joints. We wear the weight of the world on our burdened frames. Eventually, our bodies begin to send us messages in the form of muscle spasms, headaches, back pain, and illness.

Being physically active is cathartic. It is a way of letting go of emotions that weigh us down and make us sick. In their place, new feelings emerge, such as pride, strength and self-confidence. And aren't these the characteristics we want to model for our children?

We seem to forget that as humans, we are psychological, spiritual, emotional, and physical beings. The great thing about our physicality is that it is tangible (and for many, what is tangible is what is real). You can touch your physical self; you can see it, shape it, and change it. And because it is just one part of the whole, when we do alter it, every other part of ourselves shifts in order to accommodate this new form. When you make your body stronger, you feel psychologically stronger. When you make your body lighter, you feel emotionally lighter. When you make your body more comfortable to be in, you feel more comfortable in it.

If I had to choose one thing that I would like my clients to learn, it is to exercise for the mental and emotional benefits first, and the physical benefits will follow. The secret to exercise as a way of life for the rest of your life is intrinsic motivation.

So now the ultimate question: How do I find the time to exercise when I have three kids, a husband, a home, and a job? The answer is, just do it. And believe me, everything else will fall into place. Your husband and kids will survive your absence. The dirty laundry will (unfortunately) be just where you left it.

And when they look at you and incredulously ask, "Where are you going?" Just smile serenely at the chaos you are leaving behind and say, "I am going out to take care of myself first, and then I'll be back to take care of you."

Get healthy. You'll thank yourself for it.