My Beginner Exercises

The day I started exercising was the day Bryan brought me home the Wii.  Instead of wrapping my birthday present...he plopped it on the desk in front of me, lol.  Not that he had much time to wrap it from the time he bought it to the time he got home.  The Wii is a great starter tool.

The Wii Fit game was the very first thing I did.  The games are fun and you can create your own little Nintendo character.  I started out doing 30 minutes a day.  The little piggy bank keeps track of your time so you know how much you did.  Then Bryan started doing it with me.  Now...those who know us well...know that both of us are EXTREMELY competitive.  Can't stand to be second chair (haha, band humor for Bryan) to anyone.  What started out as 30 minutes of fun became an hour of full on battle for first place, lol.  We had a blast with it.  Bryan is still trying to dethrone the hula hoop champ (that would be moi).  

Gold's Gym Cardio Boxing is what we graduated to next when we decided we wanted a change.  It's a lot of fun.  Again, you get to create your character and in this game you get to unlock outfits and music.  It's a great cardio workout.  Trust me, you'll be feeling it the next day.  I remember barely being able to reach behind me to pull my pants up in the back.  I know...tmi...but I'm proving a point.  It works your muscles.  Sadly...I am NO match for Bryan in this game.  He's already thrown over 1,000 more punches than I have, but it's fun just the same.  Also!  Let me just add that cardio boxing is a great way to relieve frustration.  

I graduated from doing games/exercises on the Wii to going to the gym.  For those like me, with children, it's hard to find a gym where you can take them along.  We are lucky to have facilities on base that have family rooms.  If you can't find a gym with a family room, I recommend the YMCA.  Some do have daycare systems set up and for the older kids there are plenty of other things to do there.  

If you are like me...you may be slightly intimidated by the idea of running (or at least I used to be) and lifting weights.  I found that if you're willing to put in a little more time...walking uphill at a decent pace (by decent I mean 3.0 mph or faster) will burn just as many calories as jogging.  I've also learned that weight training is important.  Lifting weights helps you build muscle...duh we all know that.  But did you know that muscle is active tissue...active tissue burns more calories than fat.  Weight training can increase your lean body mass which helps to increase your metabolism.  Weight training can also help reduce your chance of developing diabetes.  There are tons of other benefits, but these are the ones that are most important to me because they relate directly to my life.

Exercise is important.  It shouldn't be intimidating, but it can be alot of fun.  Don't be afraid to sweat...