Going to the gym sucks.

I'm just going to say it: I hate exercising.

Well, I hate exercising as an activity. Historically, I've always enjoyed playing sports, being active, hiking, dance, swimming, etc. but the whole concept of going to the gym for the purpose of exercise has never appealed to me and I chose music over sports in high school sealing my fate as a non-athlete.

Despite the fact that I do feel great post-work out (energized, accomplished) getting STARTED is something I fight fiercely. There are two main reasons (which are most peoples reasons...):

1. I'm tired

I know the paradox---if I exercise more, I'll have more energy---but it's hard to see that when you're a working mom who feels stretched thin and just wants to relax in the evening with her family or sleep an extra few minutes in the morning before her 2 year old barrels in at full speed. Half the time I don't even feel up to cooking dinner when I get home in the evening---when would I ever have the energy to work out?

2. I'm out of shape

Um...but really. This has very little to do with weight. Even in high school when I was a size 2, I could not run a mile. Getting from 'can't run a mile' to 'regularly exercising' is probably the biggest hump in getting healthy or losing weight.


The thing is, I just don't see life long healthiness happening without exercise. I mean yes, diet is probably even more important and sure, it feels ridiculous to live in a culture that has to fit in an exercise routine rather than just live actively, but I sit at a desk 8-10 hours a day and I'm pretty sure it's slowly killing me...

So many of my friends seem to love the gym, or yoga, or running marathons, or whatever it may be. But it also seems like the most successful have to make it their lives. It becomes apart of their identity. You can only commit whole heartedly to so many things and I've already committed to as much as I can manage and not to things I can just cast aside.

So I guess my question is---can I be a healthy and balanced person without fitness becoming a major part of my identity? Can I get in and stay in shape without being consumed by meal planning, work-out plans, and rigorous routines?

I wonder.