Are you wondering why we didn't call this section "Exercise?" Sometimes that word can be a little scary, so we thought we'd start with something a little simpler.
Most Americans spend a pretty good portion of their home-lives on the couch in front of the television. Have you ever calculated how much time you spend in front of the boob tube? Try keeping a little notebook by the couch, and just log in your TV-watching hours every day. At the end of a week you might be amazed (and hopefully, appalled) at how much time you waste on the couch that you could be spending with your family or friends, playing a team sport, taking martial arts, or participating in a favorite hobby, among other things.
Do you watch TV in your bedroom? Many sleep problems are caused by watching television in bed. If you have insomnia, try removing the TV from your bedroom and see if your sleep habits improve.
Now, if you have a pedometer, take it around with you every day for a week and log how many miles you actually move outside the home everyday. Set a reasonable goal for increasing this every month.
Did you know that all cancers are linked to not getting enough sunlight? Lack of sun exposure is a huge problem in the United States, and this is compounded by the use of sunscreen that actually CAUSES cancer. What you need to do is go outside in the sun as often as possible, without allowing your skin to burn, and gradually increasing your exposure as you build up your natural sunscreen (tan). What do you think people did for thousands of years before sunscreens were developed? We were BORN with natural sunscreen...and it doesn't cause cancer...it protects you from it!
Ok, so you're ready to get some exercise...so choose something that's fun! If joining to the gym is drudgery, then don't do it. When you find a form of exercise that you like to do, then you will MAKE time for it. If you don't have an old stand-by from your past, then try some new sports.
Enlisting a friend to join you can be a good way to make sure you keep up your motivation in the beginning, but when your friend decides they want to try a different sport, don't let that kill your motivation, just make new friends who are already participating in the sport you've taken up.
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