Late last summer I implemented a rule in our
home that may sound strange.
I noticed that my 2-year old daughter, Faith, was
in the habit of turning on the tee-vee when she got up
each day.
Being that there are a lot of programs for kids today that
enhance her bilingual upbringing, I don’t see the
tee-vee as 100 percent bad.
But going without exercise, especially when you’re young and
have ALL the time in the world, that is not a good habit. So I
implemented a rule: No Tee-Vee Before Exercise.
No Dora. No Sponge Bob. No Bob the Builder.
Exercise comes first. And for Faith, the exercise I want to see is
a minimum 1-mile walk.
At first she didn’t like it. She’d cry, moan, groan and complain. But
after three weeks of daily walking, she was finished with the negative.
Not only did she want to go for a walk – but she preferred to run the
course instead of walking.
This morning when she got up it was 40 degrees Fahrenheit. It was also
pouring down rain. Faith’s grandparents told her to stay in today; told her
no exercise – then listed the reasons. Too cold. It’s raining.
Faith would NOT be deterred. She demanded time in the great outdoors
and she would not listen to any excuses made by adults.
She got her way. Grandma dressed her in a warm winter coat and put a
hat upon her head. Next thing you know they were running around the
block, same as usual.
Without realizing what has happened, my daughter is under the spell of
“Cosmic Habit Force.” When you do something everyday, you WANT to
do it everyday. In fact, if deprived of being able to “do the thing” – it’s
as if every cell in your body rebels.
At first she rebelled against the idea of exercise before tee-vee. Now she
won’t have it any other way. Rain, sleet or shine – she wants to move.
This is the way the human being was created to be. We weren’t created in
order to spend all day before the tee-vee, the computer or the i-pod.
We feel best when our bodies have the exercise habit. The connection
we make when we train permeates our mind and body. It centers us,
relaxes us and makes us realize that YES, we were given a body to USE,
not just to take up space.
Use your body today. Get up and move. Get out and move. Make no excuses.
Don’t tell me you’re too old. Don’t tell me you’re too heavy or that it’s been too
long a time. MOVE. Do something and you’ll feel better afterward.
To get started on the right road to lifelong health and happiness, be sure to
get my international best-seller, Combat Conditioning. You can go to
http://www.mattfurey.com/conditioning_book.html and order now.
Or you can get it gratis as part of the Matt Furey Inner Circle – along with a
bundle of other gifts. You’ll see what I mean when you explore your options
at http://www.mattfurey.com/inner_circle.html
Best,
P.S. One week to go before I have my “Secret of Secrets” Fitness Seminar. If
you want IN – move NOW – http://www.mattfurey.com/007_fitness_bootcamp.html