If I had a dollar for every time I heard someone mention exercise in the context of what they ate I could retire tomorrow. How often have you heard someone say “I can eat this, I went to the gym today”, or “I need to go for a walk, I ate too much pasta”.

What ever happened to being physically active because it made you feel good, and it was fun? It seems to me the people I have known throughout my life who have managed to stay physically fit have never connected what they DO to what they EAT. I have a friend who is in her 60’s who has been doing fun but intensive exercise videos in the morning almost every day. She loves the way it makes her feel, mentioning things like gaining strength and having energy. It is a habit for her and she looks forward to it. She never mentions anything about eating when she talks about how strong she is getting.

I have another friend in her 50’s who loves running. She gets antsy when she can’t get outside because it relaxes her. On these snowy days she does a yoga class or zumba class. She enjoys it and the way it makes her feel.

If you connect exercise with eating, you are making exercise into a punishment. Instead, why not look for something you really enjoy, and then do it for the fun of it? Change it up! Dance in the living room one day, go for a walk the next, practice hula hooping! In the end, you will be healthier and more fit. And that is a goal that makes sense : )