I am not fit. I don’t like exercise. I tell myself it’s because I don’t have enough energy to exercise. Or time. Or that I’m worried the bouncing around will make my head pain worse. And besides, I already do mindful movement in the form of Tai Chi. Oh! And I walk the dogs most mornings. Surely that’s enough?
It’s not.
And if I’m really honest, I know my procrastination has more to do with motivation than any other excuse.
I have NEVER liked exercise.
I was never sporty as a kid, and I have never thought of physical activity as a form of leisure. I have had gym memberships in the past that forced me to begrudgingly go to classes so I didn’t waste my subscription… but I always let them lapse as quickly as possible. I do own lycra pants and sneakers (runners / joggers)… I just can’t remember where they are right now.
But now that I’m spending more time upright, and less time trying to sleep off my migraine pain, it’s time to be a little braver and face the truth: I am nearly 20% heavier today than I was 3 years ago.
I know there are lots of reasons people grow a spare-tire, and each of the reasons tends to lead to a particular new body type, such as a beer-belly, menopausal-hormone-belly, bloat-belly, stress-belly and good old-fashioned not-great-food-weight-gain-belly. I know my pasta-belly has nothing to do with beer, but all the other causes are possible… even probable.
I started gaining weight around the same time I started to sit on my backside all day researching my PhD AND around the same time I started to get very sick with migraine and ate food that was quick to prepare rather than good for me AND the same time I started Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) to try to counter the migraines. I suspect my extra kilos are probably due to a combination of all three events.
Regardless of the cause – I know I need to lose some weight to improve my general health and wellbeing and give myself the best possible chance of being well into the future.
When I was at my sickest with almost daily migraine, there was NO WAY I was going to do a second more movement than was absolutely required. Walking to the bathroom, pulling socks on and off, retrieving the letters from the mailbox… all of these required BIG EFFORT.
If you’re that unwell at the moment, then DON’T stop moving, just move slowly, and intentionally. Walking is probably the best place to start. Around and around your room if you’re too sick to get outside. (It worked for me.) Any-thing is better than no-thing.
After 2-years of making excuses, my low energy levels are staying low, and I’m scared of the use-it-or-lose-it rule that applies to muscle strength and stamina… I can feel my fitness slipping away.
Now that I’m not sick in bed all day, every day – the time has come to get started on losing weight and getting fit.
One of the first things I’ve been doing is changing the word ‘exercise’ to ‘movement’ – straight away I feel better about giving it a go.
The second things is imagining myself fit (not slim or pretty, just able to walk up a long flight of stairs without getting huffy and puffy) – the thought makes me feel happy and empowered – upright is a win – moving is true victory!
The third thing I’m doing is trying to remove the barriers that have acted as my excuses in the past. I try to workout at home, in comfy clothes (even PJs), for not too long or too hard, and avoid doing any activities that throw my head and neck around. It costs nothing but time and effort.
While I was looking for information on how to get started, I came across the idea of doing a 7-minute workout for 7 days in a row.
7 minutes – surely I could find 7 minutes a day to ‘workout’…?!
And I did (mostly).
Below are seven 7-minute videos – you could use one a day, or find the one that you like and review the rest of their YouTube channel, or use one or two videos to give you an idea of how to make up your own routines for the rest of the week. Some of them are slightly longer than 7 minutes, but usually because the presenter is chatty or does a warm-up routine. There are lots more online. Some are focused on weight loss, or reducing menopause symptoms, or buffing your abs – I went for the ones that looked easiest. Some use real people, at least one uses a computer generated ‘person’ to tell you what to do. Some use timers in the corner, and others don’t.
In the end, I liked some more than others, because they’re easier, or less chatty, or the countdown is more motivating… but you be the judge – oh, and I just had to include the 5-minute workout at the start, even though it’s short, because watching the puppy dog cruising around the lady’s living room made getting started easier!
(6 mins) 5 Minute Belly Fat Workout!
(8 mins) At Home Muffin Top Toning Workout
(8 mins) Reduce Belly Fat For Beginners In 7 Days ( No JUMPING + SUPER EASY )
(9 mins) 7 Minute Workout for Weight Loss | 7 Minute Walk at Home
(9 mins) Menopause Workout – Help Reduce Menopause Symptoms
(9 mins) Standing Belly Fat Workout
(10 mins) Lose Belly Fat FAST! 7 Min Home Workout | Easy + Low Impact Moves
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And if you’re wondering how I’m going… it’s been a mixed bag of success. I DID make it through 7 consecutive days of 7-minute-movement, but not straight away. I managed a couple of days and then forgot, managed another couple then felt like I couldn’t find the time. And then gave myself a kick on the bum (metaphorically – literally would be too hard!) and I finally got there. I found I had more success if I did the workouts as soon as possible each morning, or just before I went to bed (during the day rarely happened for me).
Did I lose weight? Nope. (I’m not convinced you really can lose weight from so little movement and without making some other adjustments to improve your eating habits.) But I did start to feel like I was getting slightly stronger (which was no doubt in my mind as much as my body).
Overall, it’s enough to encourage me to keep going – so that’s a woo-hoo from me.
Keep moving people – in whatever way works for you – good luck, and…
Take care taking care, Linda xx
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PS – here’s a list of links to some other movement posts I’ve made, inside each post is a list of videos you can try (listed roughly in order of ‘easy’ to ‘active’):
- Stretching
- Chair Yoga
- Qigong
- Tai Chi
- Yin Yoga
- Dancing
- 15 minute workout
- High Impact Intensity Training (HIIT)
- Swimming
OR – you can download the Mini-Mindfulness Course that lays them all out on a single PDF page: here
The Mindful Migraine 
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