Pursuing a healthier vigor eventually requires getting off the couch. As an even-minded acupuncturist, my default is always to involve the widest range of possible movement patterns.
My own regimen spans various disciplines—I velcro up for boxing, hit the track for running, dive into swimming, take on weightlifting, and practice martial arts. Yet, my motivation isn't mere variety for its own sake. In fact, I don't stick rigidly to any of these activities; my consistency is fluid, adapting to seasons and familial priorities.
During the cool months of fall and early winter, I run to the sound of soccer players at the Glendale Sports Complex, which becomes my meditation in motion.
As the seasons shift and warmth bathes the days, the inviting waters of the Rose Bowl Aquatics Center in Pasadena become my sanctuary for swimming. The sports complex is free, and the RBAC sells seasonal packages with unlimited lap swim!
When the need to spice things up arises, boxing and martial arts call to me, offering an exhilarating mix of precision and power.
And on those days when the weather makes outdoor play impossible, I turn inward to my home sanctuary for the grounding heft of weightlifting. I love kettlebells!
The key, I've found, is to weave exercise into the fabric of life as a source of joy and especially an opportunity to brain storm—rather than just another task. Pick activities that spark your interest and pull you back time and again. Then I move on when I'm over a routine. That's the secret.
In the pursuit of motion, I don't let the quest for perfection distract me from progress. Any progress I make is progress I can build upon when the time is right. I Celebrate every stride, swim stroke, punch, and lift. After all, improvement is a continuum, not an endpoint.
Embrace movement with an open heart, and it will be an investment that returns abundantly.
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