Exercise – Not a means to an end!

While it is great to have a goal in mind before starting off on an endeavour, achieving it is not everything.  Like they say, learn to enjoy the journey than just worry about reaching the destination.  Exercise and workouts are much like the same.  While getting to the ideal weight or the perfect vital stats may be the goal, don’t fret over it and forget to enjoy your journey towards your goal.  It is definitely feels great to get trim and fit into trendy clothes that will show off your new found figure, more importantly, enjoy your new found stamina, higher energy levels and lighter self.  Treat the rest as a “vanity plus” !

A friend of mine, a new mother herself aptly put it, “I am hooked on to  Pilates just for the energy boost that it has presented me“. Perpetually, tired and  drained because of the infant’s erratic sleep schedule, she had had enough.  Not to mention the assorted aches and pains that accompanied the tired body.  The Pilates is working wonders for her as regards the energy levels and the aches and pains have all vanished.  Having gone through the entire rigmarole myself, I completely agree with her on this one. 

An avid walker myself, I try and find time for my favourite activity atleast once in day. Even while I was working, I used to go for a brisk walk once back from work.  I was once asked by an acquaintance, as to how do I find the “energy” to go for a walk after work? I realized, the answer that’s so apparent to me, is not so obvious to others.  I told her, it works the other way round, its my daily walk that “gives” me the energy to go through my entire day.  The aerobic part of the walk, the increase in your heart rate and higher consumption of oxygen during the walk is what keeps me going for that day and the next till my next walk!

Do not commit the mistake of making exercise or workouts a means to an end, it is not.  It needs to be as much a part of your life as does, eating, sleeping or brushing! Remember, there is comfort in routine, as much as there is fun in chaos.