One activity that our family enjoys in the good weather (Which in Idaho is only about half the year) is to ride bikes. We are no Lance Armstrong group to be sure, but we love to be outdoors together and enjoy the breeze on our faces. This morning my husband Karl and I took our ten year old son Abe with us to run an errand over at Staples and we just hopped on our bikes and did our errand rather than jumping in the car. It is only a mile or so away from our home. There was a time (Well lots of times) where we did not get out and exercise much. It was just a lot easier to get into the car and drive. I also thought that driving in a car was faster. The funny thing is that when you have an errand to run that is around a mile or two away that the difference in driving and riding a bike is really not all that different...maybe a 10 minute difference is all. Now if you are in a huge hurry, you may not have 10-15 minutes, I understand that as I have had to run many times too, but on those times when you really can spare 15 minutes, grab your bike, blow off the cobwebs and ride. I purchased one of those fun new geared "beach bikes" last year. She is so pretty...baby blue with geeky fenders and a huge white wire basket. My children at first thought I looked pretty nerdy, and even referred to my basket as "the geeky basket" but they did not realize I was ahead of the fashion wave! Now there are even lovelier bikes than mine with bright funky colors and my girls all want one. Besides when we go on 10 or 15 mile rides and I am perched upon my big wide old fashioned seat all comfortable, they are wishing they had a bike like mine!
Part of living a happy healthy life-style is moving our bodies. I am not a spring chicken (I refuse to be "old" either though!). I am like many moms who have had a lot of children, my body does not look as athletic as I wished it did, but this does not matter. I know many moms who will not swim, bike, or walk in public because they feel "ugly and fat." If we wait to until we look the way we wished we did, we will not ever get to where we are hoping to be. I decided a long time ago, that I would love my life and live my life, no matter what size I happened to be. So my children enjoy a mother who may not be as svelte as she wishes she was out biking and walking with them nearly every single day. The three words in the title of my blog are so important, the last being LIVING. We need to be doing that to our fullest happiest level each day.
I hope today to encourage you to really live your life to the fullest. Move your body the best you can no matter where you are in your journey. If you are not able to get out and ride a bike, or don't even own one, take a short walk today. If it has been a long time since you have moved your body much, that is alright, the great thing about fitness is we all get to start right where we are at. Small children are not critical and they enjoy just moving, so grab a small child in your life and enjoy a short walk today if this is possible.
The best people in my life to walk or ride with are my family. I enjoy the time away from the pressures of life to just visit about anything we want. It is nice to have no phones interrupting you, so turn off your cell phone, and put on your shades and enjoy some happy times moving your body with someone you adore today!
