Small Town Workout

One of the many reasons that I enjoy going out of town to visit my in-laws, is the variation that I get in my workouts. My husband's parents live in a small town in Texas called Iowa Park. While we are in town seeing them, I have a couple of options when it comes to working out. One is to run at a lake that is located in town. They have a nice trail around the perimeter of the lake, along with several workout stations along the route. The scenery gives me a nice change to my normal routine. The other option that I have is going to a gym that is in downtown I.P. Each member gets their own key and you are free to come and go anytime that is convenient. Of course, since I am off from work while I am there, I can spend as much time exercising as necessary. The gym has plenty of weight and aerobic equipment to choose from an it is never busy!

I love my regular routine, but it is nice to be able to experience exercise in various locations. Rather than laying off of working out while you are out of town, enjoy the varation that can be added to your routine!

Perfect Timing

Being the end of a year and the start of a new one, now is the perfect time of the year to start living a healthier life. If you haven't already included exercise and eating healthy into your daily activities, this is a great time of the year to start! You don't have to spend one ounce of energy on regretting what you could have, should have, or would have done in the past, just start today. There isn't a rule that says "if you begin exercising today, you have to start by running a mile". Walking for 30 minutes a day, will give you extra energy and you will feel the benefits quickly. The important thing when starting a routine is consistency; if you do it every day, it will quickly become something that you look forward to doing each day.

Even though it seems like making time to exercise takes time away from our families, it is only going to serve everyone well in the end. NOW is the time. Let's get those tennis shoes on and get moving!

Merry Christmas to all!

What NOT to Wear!

Dressing appropriately for outside exercise during the winter months can be a challenge. This past Saturday morning, as I was getting ready for my run, I checked the temperature outside and it was 31 degrees. In preparation for the cold temperature, I decided to wear long johns underneath my running clothes in addition to gloves, a toboggan, and a neck warmer. For about the first mile, I felt great, but by mile two, I was roasting! I had to remove my hat, gloves, and neck warmer. Thank goodness, I had pockets in my vest that I could stuff all of my excess clothing into rather than carrying it for the remainder of the run.

I suppose that I would rather layer and be warm at the beginning and be able to shed extra clothing throughout the run, rather than starting out cold!