A bit about me

I'm convinced that there is more to exercising than the "just do it" mentality and that being motivated to exercise doesn't happen just by knowing why we should exercise. Chances are most folks could name at least 3 benefits of exercise, but the fact is most people don't exercise.

Growing up, I was tremendously physically active. As a young child I tried ballet and gymnastics and played baseball/t-ball, basketball, and generally cruised around at top speed. As an adolescent and teen I played soccer, water polo and I swam. I also grew up in this bizarre little neighborhood where everyone knew each other and the kids played kick-the-can (no, I am not a baby boomer, though the game might imply it), kickball, jump rope, four square, and spent hours jumping on trampolines.

Anyway, to the point. I stopped being active in college. I didn't think I was good enough at any sport to play competitively, and for some reason I was terrified of intramural sports. Now that I look back I had never really "exercised." By exercise I mean a planned activity for the purpose of challenging my body in order to be well. I just played! While playing is arguably the best approach to physical activity, I had trouble finding opportunities for play in college and frankly I didn't look.

After 4 years of relative inactivity, I moved to Alaska with my husband. As I observed my new environment, a land of darkness and ice, I realized that I would need to do everything in my power to stay mentally well. With a family history of depression, specifically SAD, the cards were stacked against me and I knew that exercise was my best and easiest bet.

In Alaska I took up cross country skiing, yoga, bouldering, walking, and began lifting weights and running on a treadmill. I was afraid to try each new thing, worried about how others would view me, doubtful of my ability to do any of it, and had a hell of a time convincing myself to keep on keeping on. Once I gained some momentum though, I had a blast! After nearly subjecting myself to three hellish years of law school, I found a degree that pricked my interest and resonated with my experience of activity in Alaska.

For the last year and a bit, back in the lower 48, I've been studying Exercise Science with an emphasis in Sport and Exercise Psychology. I studied at a research institution so everyone I meet asks me about my research interest. Truth be told, I have no research interest. My interest lies in actually sharing the knowledge I've gained. We've all been told that if we want it bad enough, just try harder, simply stand up and move, or, if we were good enough people to be filled with the magical elixir of motivation, we'd be fine, fit and beautiful. I don't have a magical solution to make working out easier, though I do know a few ways to increase motivation. What I know most of all is that exercise is hard to begin and maintain, motivation is not something you have or don't have, and, that with a more realistic perspective of ourselves and what it takes to be physically active, we could all be a bit more successful and perhaps even a little nicer to ourselves.

So now I'm trying to determine the best way to use this degree and find direction for my life. In the meantime I've gotten to the point where I think I can call myself a runner and actually get antsy if I go too long without moving. I attribute much of my success to the theories I've been exposed to in school and hope that what I've learned can help others create successes of their own.