What do you need?

Talk about a big question. Many times, we are very good at disliking and avoiding the very things we need most. Be it public speaking, eating healthy or something else. I got to thinking about this when I was doing some exercise. On a very simple level, I need to do more stretching. I do a lot of weight training, barre and cardio. As I have, ahem, gotten older, my body takes longer to recover from these workouts. I know stretching is good for you; I know stretching helps sore muscles; I know stretching helps prevent injuries. But, I would rather watch paint dry than stretch.

I have many stretching DVDs and many yoga DVDs. I have tried, really tried to do these. But after about 10 minutes, I stop the DVD and move on to something else. That is until a random conversation with my neighbor changed all that. I now love stretching and actually look forward to it!

How did this happen? I discovered the Essentrics workouts by Miranda Esmonde-White. (No, this isn’t a plug for Essentrics . . .) Essentrics is the “active contraction of a muscle while simultaneously contracting that muscle.” In other words, it is flowing movement while stretching. It’s fun, you are moving and the workouts are filmed on lovely Caribbean beaches. I feel so wonderful after these workouts, energized yet calm. I could just sit and watch these workouts with their beautiful scenery and I would be relaxed. Mmmm, I wonder if just watching the DVDs can count as a workout? 🙂

For me, I have found the answer to my stretching dilemma. My lesson learned from all this is sometimes you just have to keep trying to find that “right” way to do something you dread or have been putting off.

So what about you, what do you conquer that dread factor?