Exercising for the Health of It

I started exercising my junior year of high school - I'd run on the treadmill in the workout room in our apartment and swim laps in our tiny pool.

(Honestly, though - the running was just because I could watch Friends at 7:30pm while I ran. And my mom wouldn't let me watch it with my younger siblings around. Something about promiscuous values. But, anyway.)

I haven't always had the best relationship with exercise - I've often viewed it not primarily as a way to relieve stress, be healthy, or feel good - but as a way to lose weight.

Let me be clear - I am a, dare I say, thin person. I've never really had real issues with my weight (Well, okay, there was that time in college I worked at Coldstone for two months and gained 10 pounds. Mmm...milkshakes with cookie dough.) Of course, because I objectively haven't had weight issues doesn't mean I'm not a typical woman with insecurities and silly moments where I crumple into a heap on the floor over my tummy pooch.

I love to run, though. LOVE.

However, about a year ago, I began to suffer from what I think is illotial band syndrome - which causes knee pain when running. That, combined with my insane ability to somehow not gain weight despite occasionally eating cookie dough (Confession: I buy Trader Joe's cookie dough for the explicit reason of popping chunks of it for dessert. Who needs baked cookies?) and running less made me feel like a sloth.

No one likes to feel like a sloth.

Even though I was effortlessly weighing less than I did in high school - I wasn't moving. The novel idea that, "Hey! I can exercise for other reasons too!" hit me and I've started walking.

Yes. Walking. (What? It's totally exercise!)

I figure, I'm going to be a power walking mom one day, might as well get a head start.

I even got a pedometer. It's true. I have no hope of ever being a hip 20 something.

For the past few weeks, I've been getting up at 6:45 instead of 7:30 and heading outside for a 30 minute stroll. It's wonderful to spend some time outside before stuffing myself into dress pants and a cubicle. I love moving around before I sit down for 8 hours. I get some time to myself and work up a tiny sweat. Plus, walking around outside is far more relaxing than running on a treadmill next to other people while we're all rigged up to our TV screens.

Walking allows me to be able to think about the day ahead of me and pay more attention to my surroundings. I still adore running and getting all sweaty (seriously. I do.), but until I figure out how my health insurance will allow me to get physical therapy (without my knee problem becoming a "pre existing condition" when I change jobs in July. Argh!) - I'm sticking with the slower paced, more relaxing morning walks. Mmm.