Yesterday, I did a cartwheel.
It wasn’t very good, but there is a story.
I was watching a TV show had two adult women skipping.
They were laughing and discussing how fun it was to skip when they were young.
By the end, they were both winded and happy.
They had just shifted a bit of exercise in their day from dreaded to fun.
Somewhere between childhood and adulthood, we turn exercise into a chore.
Something we dread.
Something we must psych ourselves up for.
As a result, many do nothing.
Days spent at a desk, in the car, and on a couch.
With the only movement coming from transition from space to space.
Turn to Our Childhood
This TV segment made me think about all the things I did as a child that were exercise.
There were so many things I did with my friends.
Walking to each other’s house.
Riding bikes around the neighborhood.
Swimming.
Playing tennis.
I also had sports.
Starting with a group called Stardust Tumblers when I was 5, gymnastics was at the core.
As I got older, ballet and dance were a part of formal gymnastics training.
By high school, cheerleading became part of the mix.
Suddenly, I found myself grabbing the clothes bar in my closet and doing some ballet moves.
Next thing I knew, I was attempting to do a cartwheel.
It was bad. I even saw some little starts after the upside-down motion shocked my system.
I rediscovered muscles that don’t stretch like they used to.
Yet, it was SO FUN!! I was energized to do more. Make cartwheels and ballet a part of my every day.
Maybe some days I’ll skip. Attempt to hold a handstand. Or do a cheer I still remember.
Your Turn
What did you love to do as a kid that would be considered “exercise” today?
How could you add a bit of that back into your routine?
What might make your physical activity just a little less of a chore?