The Riches of Inexpensive, Healthy Exercise

Good morning, Live Better than a Billionaire-a-Holics!

Are you feeling motivated this morning? I certainly hope so. I know that I am!

One of the best kept secrets in the world is that exercise fills you full of mood-enhancing drugs that you cannot buy at a pharmacy without a prescription. Based on the strict laws against using illegal drugs, exercise should be strictly off limits!

I'll spare you the clinical details, but your body naturally makes mood enhancing and pain killing chemicals whenever you exercise. Why? Scientists believe that these qualities evolved to make gathering food, hunting, and escaping danger easier to accomplish. I don't know if that's true or not . . . but I like the results!

Take a look at most billionaires and you can see that they are law abiding types. They often appear as though they have not left a sofa or a bed in haste lately. But are they missing the chance to feel good . . . or what?

If you ever watch television (and who doesn't), you may have seen a lot of very buffed, bulked bodies swinging wildly over various strange looking contraptions that you can buy for only $19.95 a month for the rest of your life. You may also have seen ads for gyms where you can exercise faster (such as Curves). You may also like to go to the gym to admire the opposite sex.

What does all that have to do with feeling good? Some help and some don't. Once we start exercise, we love it. But when we don't start, we avoid it. The key question is "How to get started?"

The answer is easy. Find places where you enjoy being that require walking to or in . . . and plan to visit such a place every day. If you like to window shop, I'm sure you've thought of the mall. If you like art, you've thought of the local museum. If you like watching people, you've probably thought of a great park. And so on.

This answer works because you will be happy to think about the place, in a good mood when you arrive, and you'll want to go there often. Having associated many happy memories with the healthy exercise you get while walking, you will want to return even more often.

What about winter? You should try out some new activities. Many friends tell me that cross-country skiing and snowshoeing are hard to beat for pleasant exercise. Think of these ways of getting around as being like a walk in the forest with decorated trees.

Why am I focusing on walking? You get the full benefits of mood enhancement simply by any exercise you get. It doesn't have to be full body to work.

But what if you're into looking great? The cheapest way to do that is to exercise at home while you watch television. My wife does her workout every day at home while she watches her favorite soap opera, Days of Our Lives. She has the television set up so that she can see it.

Although there's no aerobics instructor around, you can memorize a routine from a television exercise show.

The real exercise aficionados will tell you that exercise that lifts your heart rate for 15 minutes a few times a week is essential. If you are married, you will find connubial bliss can provide this elevated activity level in a wonderful way. Just take turns doing the heavy exercise parts. For men, this will be a good opportunity to work on their lasting qualities.

Before and after you exercise, take a few minutes to stretch your muscles. It feels almost as good as a massage as you get loose all over. I also like to take a hot shower afterwards. Can't you just feel the pleasant warm tingle from those jets of water stimulating your skin?

If exercise is so great, why do so many people stop? Injuries are often the answer. You only need to do a little exercise, but a lot of people turn exercise into a Type A climb to Mount Everest activity. When that happens, injuries are bound to happen. When they do, you need to be smart and find a comfortable alternative. After almost any injury, you can still tread water for example. Do that in a delightful, warm pool, and you'll feel wonderful. You may need to buy a membership to the Y for a few weeks, but the good feeling will probably help make up for some of the pain of the injury.

Boredom is the other reason. Give yourself all the variety anyone could want in where and when you exercise, and you'll find yourself looking forward to exercise.

Many people also find that it helps to give themselves a treat after exercising. The thought of having that treat gets them started. The treat might be a brief nap, relaxing in front of a beautiful view, or even eating a beautiful piece of ripe fruit. Enjoy!

And remember that your exercise has given you riches that a billionaire cannot buy.

Tomorrow, I'll look at the spiritual benefits of weight control.

Monday, we'll look into how teaching can make you smarter than a billionaire on five dollars extra a day.

Tuesday, let's consider ways to prepare for spending less on costly heating this winter now that oil prices are going through the roof.

Wednesday, I'll look more closely at how to prepare for the college football season.

Thursday, this blog will explore new ways of promoting your ideas for less than five dollars extra a day.

Friday, I'll tell you about an exciting new and inexpensive way for people with dyslexia to learn to read well.

Next Saturday, I'll share with you how you can automatically water your indoor plants while you are away . . . so you can give your butler and maid time off while you're away!

Next Sunday, let's take a minute to think about the best ways to spend a day not working.

Next Monday, leisure time during a busy day is our subject. So just get ready to chill.

Please let me know what else you would like to learn, and I'll do my best to help in future blog entries.

If you are new to this blog, be sure to check out the updated table of contents entry that was posted on August 24. It will help you find earlier entries that may be of interest. I'll update this table of contents every week or so for your convenience.

August 17 was the most frequently read blog entry to date. Be sure to check it out!

Thanks so much for your support of this blog. I'm delighted that so many thousands of people have made this blog part of their regular reading habit!

If you like this blog, please let others know who might also enjoy it.

Thank you to my many friends, students, clients and blog readers who are spreading the good word about this blog.

If you are visiting today because someone invited you, I'm delighted to meet you! Let's stay in touch.

May God bless you.

Donald W. Mitchell, Your Dream Concierge

Copyright 2005 Donald W. Mitchell