Thursday Therapy -- You better start runnin' cause you much too late to jog.

Exercise. This one word can either make or break your day. Some people love it… can’t get by without it. For others, it’s the nagging thing in the back of their mind that they know they need to do, but either never get around to doing or if they do, they hate every minute of it. I think I’m kind of in between these two. I love it once it’s done, but most days, I dread the thought of sweating so much that I can’t do anything until I’ve had a shower. There’s no doubt that exercising has multiple advantages. We all know it’s good for your heart, and for your waistline, but I think sometimes we forget that it’s good for our mind. Exercise helps us to physically rid of the stress of the daily grind. There’s nothing like boxing or running to get rid of all of the things that weigh you down. Exercise helps you, for the moment, focus on your ability, and what you’re capable of doing instead of all of the things you can’t control. Aaaahhh… there’s that word. Control. A lot of things seem to revolve around that one word. Think about it. Generally, people aren’t as happy when they don’t feel like they’re in control of this or that… being their life. We mentally seem to spiral out of control when we don’t have control of a situation. Say you’re panic stricken about money…. not in control = stress/worry/anxiety. Job problems …not in control = stress/worry/anxiety. Your kids are doing things they shouldn’t… you’re not in control = stress/worry/anxiety. The things we don’t feel in control of are the things that stress us out, and cause us to turn into the kind of women we don’t like. The thing is, we can’t control everything, and truth be told, even when we think we do, we’re wrong because God is in control. The faster we realize and live that out, the better off we’ll be. However, in our own minds… we can control some things. Working out is one of those things. Working out makes us feel stronger, healthier, more confident and releases the endorphins that make us happy. Exercise is free therapy. It doesn’t matter what your circumstance or health problems, most everyone should be able to find at least one exercise that they can do. I get that not everyone has knees and feet that will hold up to running. I’m right there with you. Swim, bike, use and elliptical machine or do Pilates. There are tons and tons of things to do for exercise. Just make sure it’s something you enjoy doing or you’ll give up. Get a work out buddy if that helps keep you accountable. We can all say we don’t have time, but that’s not true and you know it. Even if you have to do two or three 15 minute sessions to get enough in, you can do it. Sacrifice 30 minutes of TV watching or reading. Do whatever it takes to make yourself exercise at least 4 times a week. You can do it. This may be therapy you have to force on yourself, but I promise it will make a difference in your life in more ways than one. Watch this today http://www.hulu.com/watch/4103/saturday-night-live-little-richards-simmons-show. I promise it will make your day.