Every New Year that rolls around causes a flurry of activity, a rash of promises to improve in various ways. I will improve my mind, eat healthier, be kinder, spend less, laugh more, and try harder. By far, the most common resolution is to getting in shape by exercising.
Resolutions is what these promises are called although promise may be too strong of a word. A promise indicates a genuine commitment to following through whereas a resolution has almost become laughable. Some say that resolutions are meant to be broken. Perhaps, they are since sadly most don’t last any longer than the end of the month in which they were proclaimed.
One reason for the short-lived existence of resolutions is that they’re not realistic. A resolution to exercise every day is too abrupt a change. Going from couch potato to King of the Gym overnight is too much to expect. Miss one day, and you’ve already failed, and one failure leads to another.
A second reason for failure is that most of these resolutions are not fun. Without the element of fun, who wants to do any of these things? Exercise is hard work. Without laughter, exercise is a modern day form of torture.
A way around both of these dilemmas is to start small and to make certain your exercise choice has a degree of pleasure built in. Choosing a float trip as a form of exercise is a great way to do this. There’s a lot of paddling involved in a float trip which provides a great upper body workout. Stops along the way to swim provide an opportunity for a full body workout. As to the fun part, it’s almost impossible not to have fun. You’re outside, on the water, splashing and playing along the way. So much better than lifting weights in a gym that smells like month-old sweat socks. Gym-goers pay to get artificial tans, yours will be free and natural.
Go once just to give it a try. If you like it, go more often. Of course, the more often you go, the more exercise you get. By not imposing unrealistic standards, a person doesn’t set themselves up for failure. This way, you’ll succeed and can focus on the fun you’ve had rather than beating yourself up for failing.
Easing into exercise makes it more likely that you’ll stick with it. So go ahead, make a New Year’s resolution to float. I dare you!
