Exercise plan

I am thoroughly enjoying the exercise I am doing -- yoga and walking with my friend, Ann – and although I have been seriously exercising for more than two months, I still do not trust myself. Why? Because when I first started, I was exercising seven days a week. Monday and Tuesday, when I do not take yoga classes or have a walk scheduled, I was getting up early and doing 45 minutes of “Walk Away the Pounds” with Leslie Sansone.

I have not done that for a few weeks now, and when I realized this, it hit me hard. Monday and Tuesday have passed this week, but I have a plan for next Monday. And now I am writing it down, so next Monday, when my daughter-in-law Kim asks me if I got up to exercise, I can honestly say yes.

So here it is:

Sunday and Monday nights:
• I will set my alarm for 5 a.m., so I can finish my walk by 6.
• I will lay out my exercise clothes in the bathroom, so I won’t wake up Jack turning on lights and scrounging around in my closet for my clothes.
• Before I fall asleep, I will tell myself as many times as it takes that I am looking forward to getting up early to exercise, that I know I will feel so much better, and that it will set the tone for the rest of the week.

Monday and Tuesday mornings:
• As soon as the alarm goes off, I will plant my feet on the side of the bed.
• After I exercise, I will make myself a nutritious breakfast and a cup of coffee, and then sit down for a few minutes to enjoy my food while watching the news.
• When I go upstairs, I will note the exercise in my journal. If at the end of one month I have exercised daily, I will reward myself with a massage.

Another mind game. Let's see if it works.