I'm looking out the window at a crisp day with pretty foliage on the hills but our woods trails are pretty muddy.  Yet, snow showers are in the forecast for tomorrow, and the week ahead looks a little raw and damp so it will be a good day to get out and run with the Vizsla.  Another pair of muddy Ascics is no big deal.

But, while procrastinating by the wood fire a bit, I'll lay out some exercise ideas on what works for me - to get me out of bed, or away from the desk.  I'm not a fitness fanatic -- but like most of us, finds that the day goes better for me (and those around me) if I get a little exercise.  It works the same way for my Vizsla -- no workout and someone is going to pay. 

Finding time for fitness starts for me with two major decisions: 1)priority for exercise, and 2) planning workouts.

Set Your Exercise Priority High

We need to move exercise way up near the top of our personal priority list.  For me, it’s one of the things I’m always thinking about.  It’s a given that I’ll probably exercise -- that’s just part of my life, but what I do, where I do it, and when in the day can I fit it in, are all decisions to make. And then change it if need be.  Schedule a rest day -- and do it without guilt. Mix things up to keep for overusing muscles and to keep it interesting.

Plan Workouts
I tend to decide about exercise early each day, taking into consideration my preceeding exercise sessions (if I’ve run three times in a row, I’ll cycle or lift), how I feel physically, and when will I have time.  Of course, if I’m looking at a real early workout, I’ll decide that the night before.  If I have travel or other time commitments up ahead, I’ll do some rough planning for a weekend or a week. (”We’ll get there early enough for a quick run, then I can do a weight session next morning in the motel workout room.”)  The trick is to plan so that you have a time set up but then can change routines if you’d rather walk with the family than run solo.

It’s easy to get “preachy” when talking about finding time for fitness but that’s not the point. I just think that by moving exercise way up the priority chain, by thinking ahead on what the game plan for exercise is, and by being flexible (”It’s slushy, screw the run, I’m going to go downstairs and row”), exercise becomes part of your daily routine.  It has mine. Time to find the orange vest (it's bow hunting season) and loosen up.  The dog is ready to go.  Stay fit.

image from dawn pink chick

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Once considered by some of us as just for elite athletes or wealthy matrons, personal training has become much more a part of the training programs for "ordinary" folks.  We have looked at this topic and provided some advice on selecting personal trainers in past posts.

Now, a New York Times article spotlights some success stories and says in part: "...Exercise physiologists and coaches say most people who want to run, swim, cycle or row faster or improve in almost any sport do not appreciate what can be accomplished with training nor how to do it..." 

The article points out the benefits of training under the eye of a coach/trainer and has a number of good examples.  Want to get faster -- get a trainer.  (Read NYT article)

 photo by wwarby  

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As we head into spring, it's a great time to walk a bit more, shed a few pounds, pick up a new sport, or just get outside in the longer days and milder temperatures. Here's a list of some of my ideas on how to get psyched to get more exercise.  I bet you can add your own top ten.

1.    Make Exercise a “to do" -- it needs to be on the schedule and treated just like any other personal appointment.  Keep a to-do list and move exercise way up priority-wise.  Mine comes up daily on my Palm desktop -- I enjoy checking it of each day -- even planned rest days.

2.    Give Yourself Permission to Take Time To Get in Shape – to often, we think we don’t have time in our busy schedules to exercise. 

3.    Hire a Personal Trainer – you don’t have to be an elite athlete to benefit from personal coaching.  Here is some practical guidance on selecting a personal trainer.

4.    Buy Yourself a Piece of New Fitness Gear – a new pair of running shoes or a new windsuit can perk up your workouts.  Or get someone else to get it: my daughter bought me a long-sleeved shirt made of some special material and I love running in it on these spring days.

5.    Aim Toward a Goal -- I like road races -- it gets you out the door when you’ve paid your fee and have three weeks to go. You don’t have to compete: walkathons, charity bike tours, or a hike to a destination can provide great motivation.  A friend of mine says that her goal, to complete another section of Vermont's Long Trail, gets her motivated.  On a similar note, another friend said, "Train like an athlete -- use spring to get ready for summer activities."

6.    Join A Fitness Club – this is a good time of year for deals on sign-ups.  There are often special programs aiming at spring – locally, our fitness club has spring training and rowing contests underway.

7.    Keep a Log -- it can be very informal or detailed and in a planner, online, or on stickies.  It’s not a bad idea to track your weight.  It’s fun to go back and check on what you were doing last year this time.

8.    Get a Dog – well, don’t go out and adopt one unless you're ready for another commitment.  If you read this blog much, you know that my four-year-old Vizsla needs lots of exercise.  In fact, she's lobbying for another run right now.

9.    Exercise Daily -- while you definitely want to take days off, make them part of your weekly plan.  For me, thirty minutes nearly every day is better than 90 minutes every three days.

10.    Have fun -- don’t make exercise a drudgery session.  If you’re on a treadmill, use the iPod or watch a DVD.  Vary your pace during a run and race to the next telephone pole once in a while.  Spring is a great time to listen and watch for new birds arriving -- just absorb the smells and sounds of this changing season.

And as a bonus tip -- Why not pick up a new activity or polish an old one?  Always wanted to be a better swimmer?  Sign up for a class right now to be ready for the summer.  Tune up that old bike, get a new helmet, and rediscover the fun of cycling.

What is your top tip for exercising?  What works best for you?  Comment below.

shoe photo by Josiah Mackenzie     Vizsla photo by author

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And on it went, unbidden, as I chugged up the first steep hill.  “You haven’t made it up this hill yet this Spring without walking.”  And guess what, suddenly I was walking for a few minutes.

So how do we keep negativity out our minds while running?  It’s a pretty common problem and most long-time runners have tricks for staying positive.  Here are a few of mine:

A.  Warm up and stretch first.  Warm muscles seem springier and you usually start off with a “this is going to be good” feeling.

B.  Give yourself a challenge.  As I posted here, I like to sign up for races for motivation.  But that doesn’t mean that every run has to be a new PR.  It is more a matter of having a good reason to put quality into the workout.  I like to think, "I wonder what others in my age group are doing for a workout today?"  It can help pick up the pace.

C.  Bring along some motivation.  The low traffic roads and trails I run on are perfect for iPods.  A good workout routine playlist can add some energy to your workout.  Don’t blast -- hear the car coming up from behind.

There are many other ways runners stay positive.  Some run with buddies (I don’t have the breath to spare chatting, thank you.).  Others treat themselves to new shoes or other gear to give a boost in attitude.  What works for you?  Why not leave a comment below describing your best motivation tool?

 photo by 00dann

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This is from Dr. Dolgoff's excellent blog:

"Your dog can truly be your child's best friend. Give your child the chore of walking the dog and voila- instant movement! Dogs love to run around outside.

Chances are your child will feed off of the dog's enthusiasm. Encourage your child to play outside with the dog as much as possible. Studies show that simply getting your kid outside of the house helps with weight loss. So don't even mention exercise! Just tell your kids that the dog is getting restless and suggest they take him for a walk, play chase, or even play fetch. Once they are in the routine of walking the dog, tell them that their beloved pet is getting too heavy and the vet wants the doggy to run around a bit. All vets encourage exercise so it is not really a lie ;) In any case, suggest that your child jog with the dog for one minute and then walk for five minutes. Each week, increase the jogging by thirty seconds and decrease the walking by thirty seconds. In time, your child and dog will be jogging straight through! Gradually increase the length of the walks.

Not only will your child benefit- but your dog will be in better shape as well!"

photo by lucas vermeer

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Over the years, one of my best exercise motivators is to look ahead and pre-register for a road race.  Even though I’m pretty far back in the pack these days, looking forward to a race definitely improves the quality of my training.  I work a little harder, perhaps a little longer.  It’s probably the frugal Vermonter in me – “I sent my money in and damn it, I’m going to do that race.”

The roads and sidewalks in upstate Vermont have just recently got cleared and runners are out in force.  (Of course, die-hard folks training for Boston have been running in snow, sleet, and freezing rain all winter.)  As I start to get my legs accustomed to the pounding of running once again, I began to look ahead.  We are going to Massachusetts after Easter and perhaps I can coax my daughter into running a race with me.  (One of my joys is to be able to run in races with all three of our kids -- and hopefully before long, with our grandkids.)

I go to Cool Running for race schedules but also check local running clubs like the Merrimack Striders in MA.  I found a race that sounds too interesting to miss, a 5K in Ipswich called: Chase the Gorilla Down Argilla.  I’ve checked it out online and it may be my next race.

As an aside, one of the coolest races I ever did was a 5K in rural Gillett, Pennsylvania called “Monkey Run Down.”  It was all downhill on a road called Monkey Run Road.  There was a school bus ride to the start -- or you could jog up -- and it was by far, the fastest race I ever did.  The hand carved award has been lost in moves, but the memory of flying down the race course is a fond one.  We’ll see about the Gorilla course, somehow I think it will be tougher.

Of course, goals don’t have to be road races or don’t have to involve competition or money.  It can be “let’s hike to Lost Pond next month” or a walkathon, a charity bike tour, or a xc ski tourathon.   It’s good for most of us to have some sort of target up ahead to motivate us.  What works for you?

Finding Time for Fitness:   priority & planning      with a dog      keep a log

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