Exercise!

I definitely don't consider myself to be an athlete by any means, but I like to think of myself as a moderately active person. I like hiking, and I opt to walk places if I have the chance to do so. I go to the gym about three times a week, and when I'm there I usually run around three miles on the treadmill. I have run a few five mile stints before, but that's about as far as I have run - not necessarily because I'm tired (I get a euphoric high after running for a mile or two), but because I don't have more time in my day to dedicate to running. Plus, admittedly, I also get a little bored after running for a long time.

I like exercise. I like the way I feel when I exercise, because I feel alive with my heart racing and my sweat glands working. I also like how I not only feel physically alive, but mentally alive when I do yoga or a dance class: it's almost like I can feel both sides of my brain working, as I try to physically mimic the poses or moves that the instructor shows. Every time I leave a yoga or a dance class, I'm always struck with how I feel very alert.

For that reason, this article about the mental benefits of exercise really resonated with me. My memory, mind, and mental well-being are so important to me, and I really like thinking about how exercise can help me to stay mentally sharp and aware. This article also makes me think of J's sharp grandparents, who walked around their city and up the hill to the local university on a regular basis. Grandma P lived into her nineties, and Grandpa P is still alive (at ninety-six, I believe) and rides a bike for his regular transportation!

I hope I can encourage my children to develop healthy exercise habits and hopefully find a love of exercise. Sam doesn't like competitive sports, but he does enjoy swimming and likes going to his swim lessons. Lucy likes going to her ballet class, which is a good start! I'd love it if one of my kids ends up liking basketball, baseball, or volleyball, because it would be fun to play with them. But if they don't, that's okay too. I just want them to be healthy, more than anything else.

J understands the importance of exercising, but he doesn't get any type of adrenaline rush when he works out. (I wonder if he may have a lower lower levels of dopamine in his body). J still exercises though, and recently discovered that he really enjoys rowing. Earlier this fall, he took a rowing class that would practice on Lake Washington. It's too cold to go out on the water now, but he still uses the rowing machines at the gym and actually gets fairly good PR times. I really enjoy seeing him get excited about this sport.