HOW TO JUMP-START THE DAY

Five mornings a week I jump-start my day by doing the same thing.  Yes, my morning coffee is definitely one of those things, as well as breakfast, something I never skip.  Once I've refueled my body it's then time to get it moving and energized.

And the sure-fire way to do that is to go to the gym.  I never thought I would say this, but, "I absolutely love working out!"  I feel so powerful and strong when I am working out.  I also feel a sense of positive energy coursing through my mind and body.

I always start my daily workouts with a vigorous 30 minute walk on the treadmill.  That really gets my heart ticking fast.  When I get off the treadmill I work out with free weights as well as machines.  I work my upper body and lower body on alternate days so the muscles have a chance to rest.

When I am done with machines and weights I get down on a mat and work on my core.  I wish I had known just what a "core" is and how important a strong core is when I was much younger.  I could have saved myself years and years of back pain.  A strong core helps in day-to-day activities, maintaining good posture, a healthy back, as well as balance.  

I had no idea what a core was until I needed physical therapy many years ago for my ailing back.  Physical therapy taught me exercises to strengthen my core.  As we worked together on these exercises week after week, it became easier to hold in my core for longer periods of time.  My back eventually felt better and I no longer needed PT.  

But like most new things learned, if you don't continue practicing what you learned you will forget how to do it.  And that's what happened to me over time.  It wasn't until years later, after I had been in and out of physical therapy for my back that I vowed to myself that I would take control of my body and well-being and try everything in my power to keep my back healthy and my body strong.

And that is exactly what I have done.  When I finished PT two years ago I joined the gym in my neighborhood, Fitness Quest 10, and I've never felt stronger, better, more positive, and overall happier than ever.  Yes, holding in my core has now become second nature, something I do without even thinking about it.  I know the proper way to climb stairs, sit down and get back up, lift something heavy, and bend over.  

I also learned the importance of stretching. The final part of my daily workout is to keep my body from getting knotted up. I perform several stretching exercises before leaving my house, and at the gym I go through a series of stretches on my mat at the end of a session.  

My entire workout from beginning to end is only one hour.  That's not much of a sacrifice to start my day off invigorated and ready to go the distance.