Hello again.  I’m so glad you came back.  Okay, I realize that for some of you I just pop up in your inbox with an email reminding you that “hey guys, I just published a new blog post. Please read me.”  If you follow through and actually read my post, HOORAY!  Thank you.  And if you are new here, welcome and thank you for coming along on the ride.

When last we met, I told you about my real plan for 2019, which was to focus on living a happier life.  You know, “live my best life ever!”  No biggie.  Thanks Oprah!  And I want you guys to do the same.  So we have to start somewhere and get to work.  But where and how?  Well, I am going to start with the one thing that so many people try to take on at this time of the year:

Exercise.

You know it’s true.  It’s the start of a new year and I am sure many of you have made resolutions to start working out more.  In fact, it’s one of the top resolutions people typically make, right up there with eating healthier and saving more money.  Okay, so why do you want to exercise?   Many of you will likely say, “to be healthier of course” and while that is an honorable goal, I bet that if many of your are really honest with yourselves, I bet if you read in between the lines of that goal, it’s to “lose weight so you can look better” and I bet it’s because you think that THIS is the one thing that will make you truly happy.  

I am sorry to tell you folks, Yale’s Lauren Santos, tells us, studies have shown that it will not.  Wanting to exercise to make changes to you physical self, will almost certainly not guarantee happiness, in fact, many times it may make you even more depressed.  Why is that?  

At first when I heard this fact, I thought, it must be because limiting of carbs and calories and sweating profusely in a gym only served to make people grumpy.  Spaghetti must make people happy…I mean think about all the runners that “carbo load” before a big race.  And then they are always going on and on about that “runner’s high” right?   (I have never experienced that), but that must be it, right?  The elusive runner’s high.

Well, no.    

Every January, gyms are jam packed, you often can’t find a treadmill at a convenient time.  You start off strong, you may even over do it the first couple of work outs and then quickly discover, you are so out of shape that muscles you never knew you had are sore.  And then, by the end of February, or mid-March, your resolve has weakened.  Maybe you are shortening the time of your workouts.  Maybe you are skipping days and soon, before you know it you are back to your old habits of not moving at all.  Are we sad because we failed?  So you must be thinking, why bother?

Look, I AM NOT suggesting that working out is pointless.  It is true, that exercise, can lead to better health and it may in fact help you reach a weight loss goal.  But what AM suggesting is that you think about exercise differently.  When you think about why you should exercise, think about how happy it will make you.  Happy?  Yes, exercise, does crazy fun things to your brain that boost your mood and make you happy.  It also helps you sleep better, but more on that on a later blog post.  It deserves its own examination.

Think about what happens as your go through your day.  Your mind and body can fill up with the stress of work, daily annoyances like traffic, and general anxiety.  Exercise is the tool to use to burn off all this bad energy.  Otherwise, you are just sitting there letting all those bad vibes form a chokehold on you, creating tension which accumulates in the long term.  Let that $hit go people.  Make room for the good stuff.  But to make room you need to move.  And the good stuff, that can build too and can make you more resilient to life’s ups and downs, and lead you to have an overall better day, every day!  I know I want that.

Apparently, moving 3x a week for 30 minutes each time will help add to your happiness.  And it can take any form too.  Do you like to run?  Dance?  Go for walks with your dog?  Ride a bike?  Be like Nike.  Just do it.  Commit yourself to something that moves you and just do it.  And if you are going through something?  A bad breakup?  The death of a loved one?  Exercise is even more critical for you.  Studies have shown that exercise can help people recover from their sadness.  Think of it as the best form of self care possible. 

Also, exercise boosts your cognitive function.  Are you a student?  Don’t worry about grades, exercise.  It can improve the way you learn and retain information.  Are you older?  Movement not only helps keep your body strong, but can keep you sharp as you grow older.  Oxygen people, oxygen is key to keeping your brain young and you happy.

So what am I doing for my happy exercise goals?  Well, I decided that I wanted to do various things, like Zumba or Barre, but even better, I wanted to start running again.  About 14 years ago I ran my first marathon.  And I loved it.  Now I don’t want too run any marathons, but I do think running lends itself well to a goal.  So I decided to try to train for a 5k race.  And I chose to run Oak Park’s “The Good Life 5k Race”.  You guys, really, that’s what it’s called.  The “good life” race?  Come on!!! It’s a cosmic sign.  This is my race to have my best life ever.  Okay. I’ll shut up now. Anyway, I will be following my couch to 5k program, going to the gym to run 2-3 times a week and if I can fit in a bonus Zumba workout, all the better.  Sunday, April 7th, 2019.  Root me on internet friends…I am very excited.  I will keep you posted on my progress as time goes on.  

In the meantime, I hope I have convinced you that exercise is mission critical on the path to happiness.  And if you happen to look better as you dance, run or bike, well bonus…but I bet it’s because you are SMILING AND HAPPY.

See ya’ soon,

Kallie