Just Beyond the Edge is Your Jam

Not talking about anything that you are already familiar with or safe with here. Not dwelling on where you currently excel at physical exertion or alternatively, how you have not so much as twitched an eyebrow this year. Gasp. Instead, today, we are looking for an activity where movements and benefits are outside your comfort zone. Open your mind and the door to something different and bring in abundance! On a walk, in the garden, outside, inside, at the gym, in the woods, choose to experience a NEW exertion fully. Maybe there is something you have always wanted to try like Yoga or maybe you just heard of Barre and are interested or maybe you need to add cardio to your current repertoire. Do it! Yes! Yes! Yes! Heck Yeah!

How? How now brown cow? Excuses, excuses, and more excuses keep us safe and comfortable and inside the edge. This is not a commitment to spend money or alot of time or sign up for anything. This is the key to DIY success, by keeping it simple. So be bold, what should you do, different than what you do now, that either interests you or is something recommended for a current malady you wish to overcome. In my 50’s I am watching women in their 70’s have a hard time reaching up into cupboards. I want to be able to raise my arms! Yikes!! I need to do some regular stretching. No, my inner defeatist and excuse maker says, why now? I am a tennis player, I garden regularly and intensely, I am active…. but that is all where I am comfortable. To raise my elbow to my ear, oh, not comfortable. The goal here is to ADD something new, expansive, even a little bit scary, because that is a good hint that you are on track. And then begin, no excuses, because all that it takes is conviction and less than 15 minutes. Jolt your body and mind into focus. Nudge yourself to notch up your wellbeing by supplementing your current walk, run, visit to the gym, or sedentary life. Transform your life by going just beyond the edge with a 3 to 15 minute addition. Keep it short and you will have no excuse, trick yourself into doing what serves you to move toward things you never thought possible. Frequency is dependent on you and the activity. Monday, Wednesday , and Friday, starting tomorrow, I will be stretching at 4PM for 3 minutes using the Spark People resource linked below. Which one suits you?

Resource List

• Exercise Channels on your TV
• YouTube free videos such as Be Fit
• Spark People
• Dream, Scheme, and Beam with an Accountability Partner
• Create and lead: church, senior center, children’s physical activities
• Let the environment, reward, and activity be an adventure

Tools

What is your immediate need and long term goal? Today is the day to begin. I believe you can, I believe you will!! You will be so glad that you did! Taking time to reflect on your situation, be selective of what you expose your senses to, intentional self-care is powerful. Making choices to engage in healthful experiences to activate your body is not a static endeavor. As soon as you get comfortable, add something new again to your repertoire. Keep moving the edge, go where you have not before, honor your best self by following through to take a simple plunge, a few minutes at a time.