Lack of Activity and Its Effects

by Jessica Watters

Lack of activity destroys the good condition of every human being, while movement and methodical physical exercise save it and preserve it. -Plato

While tweeting the above quote by Plato, it brought to mind not so different memories of this winter.  Not a lot of people know this, but this winter was really rough on me mentally.  I never had issues with the "winter blues" before, and I've been fortunate enough to not stay in a depressed state for more than a few minutes.  So when this dark mood settled in, I was clueless with how to cope with it.  I had feelings that I never had before and was questioning my ability as a wife, mother and friend. 

Don't get me wrong there would be days that were okay, but for the most part I felt like I had a case of permanent PMS.

Coincidentally, I wasn't exercising as much as I had in the past.  I was only teaching 2 classes per night and doing 20  minutes of stretching daily.  I was used to a lot more than that.  My eating had also become foreign to me.  I was always used to eating a pretty balanced diet, but looking back, I was going for more carbohydrates and not eating enough proteins.  This combined with a hard winter in New Jersey was of no benefit for my physical and mental condition.

At some point, a light bulb went off in my head and I decided to get back to exercising regularly. As a lot of you know I started doing P90X.  It was hard at first.  I had gotten used to not working out and doing a lot of comfort food baking.  So the first week or so wasn't anything to make Tony Horton proud.

Around the same time, I had decided to become a Team Beachbody Coach.  That's when I made the choice to take this program seriously and "bring it."  It was hard to crack down on my eating and focus on the nutrition plan that comes with P90X.  I was always able to eat what I wanted because I had always taught a lot of fitness classes.  But like I said earlier, my diet somehow shifted to baking lots of cookies, breads, biscuits, anything doughy.

With a little determination, some experimentation and lots of hard work, I started noticing my outlook on life looking much better.  And I wasn't forcing it this time.  I actually started feeling happy, positive, "the glass is half full."

I wish I had re-started my exercise journey a long time ago.  But I'm guessing if I didn't go through that funk, I would never have found a program that I love and I wold never have become a Team Beachbody Coach.  I really love helping people get out of their "funk" and get back on the path to health and wellness.  This experience gave me a shot in the arm with my fitness career that I really needed.

I'm not saying that you all have to do P90X, drink Shakeology or become a Coach, but that's what helped me.  I just want all of you to find some form of movement and exercise that will inspire you to lead a healthier life.  Start putting nutritious, healthy food into your body and you will feel so much better physically and mentally.

No, there is no magic pill to getting back into shape.  You need to decide you're going ot do it, commit to some hard work and getting through tough days, but I promise you will succeed.