When I started this goal of getting physically fit, my intent was mostly toward vanity. I was very overweight and had become ashamed of how I looked. There were the ancillary things too....such as being tired all the time, no energy, feeling generally lousy....but the main reason was that I simply wanted to look good without any clothes.
Health? meh.....maybe in the back of my mind. The thing is, I didn't connect my health to exercise. To me exercise was a way of losing fat. I felt that if I got the weight off THEN I would get healthy. Health was about diet. Exercise was to lose weight while on a diet.
Then I get the double whammy of a heart attack and diagnosis of Type II diabetes. The heart was repaired, that was just a matter of fixing the plumbing. Diet is important for this to prevent future damage. Diet is important as well in managing the diabetes...but I've discovered that exercise is an absolutely critical aspect in controlling my blood glucose levels. Daily exercise is every bit as important as the meds that I take every day. I've also got the benefit with daily exercise of treating my blood pressure, cholesterol, and strengthening my entire cardio/pulmonary system.
Plus I lose weight and get muscle. Win - Win
Don't think of exercise as a chore you have to do....like shaving or doing the laundry. Exercise is something that you do for yourself, to treat yourself....to make you feel better. Look at exercise as a much needed medication in which you cannot afford to miss a single dose.
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