The Importance of Physical Fitness When You are a Busy Working Woman
“Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, which you have from God? You are not your own; you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body” (1 Cor. 6:19-20).
There is no woman in business today who does not know how important it is to save for retirement. We have all heard that adding to our 401K’s and maxing out our Roth IRA’s are two ways to help grow our portfolios. These are such common statements to women today that we do not need reminders of how important this is. Likewise, women of today do not need to be reminded how important working out and being physically active are to maintaining a healthy lifestyle. We already know that daily work-outs will significantly impact our current and future health.
So why is it so difficult to carve out time in our busy schedule to fulfill our commitment to our own health? Physical activity for women is not only recommended by every doctor and medical professional, it is essential for women to feel good and age well throughout their lifetime. Studies have also shown that women who work out are not only less prone to falls and illness, they also have a more positive attitude. If working out provides such a benefit for us, why are we not paying as much attention to this aspect of our lives as we do to saving for retirement?
Maintenance Matters
In childhood, “working out” is not something anyone talks about. Children run and play. They climb on the jungle gym at recess and play kickball or Frisbee at lunchtime. What happens between childhood and adulthood that causes the demise of physical activity? We often blame busyness as the offender, and yet we make time to eat, sleep, and work. Why does paying attention to the health of our body seem to no longer take precedence over neglecting this all-important activity?
If our body is the only vessel we have in which to move through life, you would think we would take better care of it. We know that an unattended automobile, whether gas-powered or electric, will eventually need repairs. Regular maintenance keeps our car running smoothly and the repair bills reasonable. The better we maintain our vehicles, the fewer larger - and unnecessarily expensive - issues we will have.
The same is true for our bodies. If we incorporate a regular workout schedule into our daily or weekly routines and make it a priority to take care of ourselves, we will often minimize the physical problems of aging. High cholesterol, blood pressure that is out of control, weight that just seems to creep up on its own - all with little warning - bring issues we would rather not deal with.
Getting Started
If it seems reasonable that you should incorporate a fitness routine into your life, where do you begin? First of all, be sure your medical doctor knows you are starting an exercise program and ask if there are any issues you should address first. Then begin slowly and with realistic expectations. You will want to attend to balance and flexibility issues first to avoid falling and injuring yourself. If you can afford it, hire a personal trainer - even for a few sessions - who will teach you proper technique and help you begin correctly and pace yourself so you stay motivated when you are tired, discouraged, or don’t feel like working out.
Those are the times – the times you just don’t feel like working out – that you will have to push through with pure grit, because until exercise becomes a daily norm for you, there will be days, which can turn into weeks, when you will not want to work out. That is when your determination must take over to help you get up and go, remaining committed to your goal.
There are a few steps you should attend to as you begin exercising. First, invest in a new pair of shoes and be sure you purchase the correct size and style for whatever sport or exercise you intend to begin. You do not need to purchase a new wardrobe for the gym, just a pair of workout shorts and a top will do nicely. Either join a gym and take a class in person or online, which helps with motivation and accountability (someone is watching for you to show up each week), or plan to walk outside with a friend at lunchtime or after work. This may require you to eat differently and to prepare your lunch and evening meals with a focus on healthy foods and quick preparation.
If you’re making dinner for your family, consider taking some time on the weekend to meal prep, beginning with your menu for the week and shopping for necessary ingredients to avoid substitutions, which aren’t bad, just inconvenient sometimes. At our house when the kids were little, Thursday night was “Restaurant Night.” They could order whatever was on the menu, which included all the left-overs from the week.
Taking care of your body must be as important as taking care of your portfolio so you have good health when you reach retirement. If you have no stamina or strength when you finally reach the Golden Age you have set for yourself, then what good is all the money you’ve saved and invested? You won’t be able to enjoy it. You will need both your investments of money and good health for a happy, successful Second Act, so be sure you are making time to take care of your body too.
Activities:
Think of a small way you can begin working out this month. Begin with a small commitment to yourself to care as much for your physical health as you do for your financial health.
Dr. Kate Walsh-Soucheray taught high school religion in St. Paul, Minnesota and then became a licensed marriage and family therapist. She has master’s degrees in theology and marriage and family therapy and a doctorate in educational leadership. Dr. Kate and her husband, John, have been married for 42 years, and they have three adult married children and six, soon to be seven, grandchildren. Dr. Kate is retired and writes and speaks for Catholics.