Exercise as Lifestyle?

This is the month of resolutions.  This is the month where the gym is full.  Next month?  Eh...not so much.

I've said it here before.  Many times.  To truly be successful, you have to make exercise a part of your lifestyle.  But what does that mean, really?

It means that you do it every day.  Seven days a week.  Something.  Anything.

Walk.  Jog. Swim.   Go to the gym.  Ride your bike.  Paddle your boat.  Do that exercise video thingie.

It means that you do it regardless of circumstances. 

You exercise even when you feel bad.  You exercise after you stayed up too late. You exercise when it is inconvenient.  You exercise when you're just not in the mood.  You exercise (maybe especially) when you're having a bad day.

You don't exercise just to have a second piece of pie.  You don't reward yourself by indulging in junk food just because you worked extra hard at the gym today.   You really should disconnect eating and exercising anyway. 

Eating is a separate issue.  Nobody enjoys good food any more than I do and yes, I do indulge in some things that I shouldn't from time to time but most of the time food is simply fuel.  Fuel to get through the day.  Fuel to get me around on the bicycle.

Good fuel.  Tasty fuel. You don't have to eat cardboard to eat healthy.

For sure, you never count the calories burned in a workout and then try and match that with calories consumed at the dinner table. 

If you're going to do anything about your diet, cut back on your carbs.  America consumes way too many carbs.  I know I did...until October of 2014 when some vascular testing prompted me to finally cut way back on the carbs.  If it has white (refined) flour or white (refined) sugar in it, I generally run and hide.

I don't have much trouble following that one and fully expect to eat that way the rest of my life.  Following a low carbohydrate diet has become part of my lifestyle. 

So let's look at that term "lifestyle" a little more.  Webster (for the old folks) defines lifestyle as "the typical way of life of an individual, group, or culture."

Wikipedia (for the young folks) defines it as "the interests, opinions, behaviors, and behavioral orientations of an individual, group, or culture."  OK.  About the same thing.

I would think that lifestyle is what you do consistently.  Things that you do that are part of your daily routine, like brushing your teeth, going to work, bathing. 

If it is part of your lifestyle, then you do it without pain or regret.  It means that you don't really think about it, you just do it.  It really isn't something that you make a conscious decision to do or not do--it's just part of your day.  Part of what you do.  Part of who you are.

If you want to live longer and live healthier, you will make exercise part of your lifestyle.  And that is no resolution.