Step 1 was all about finding your why.  My compelling reason is the desire to be strong enough for gardening the whole season without injury and to get stronger each year. 

So where do you start?

Decide where you’re going to do your exercises. You know yourself and your habits the best. Will you be more likely to be successful if you exercise away from your home? Or is home your best option?

I’ve done both. When we lived in the city, I was a member of a club that I thoroughly enjoyed. It offered a lot of variety in classes and instructors and was close to my house. It was easy for me, but I was still able to do a lot of what it offered.

When we moved to the country, I tried to make myself drive in and go to the club. But even though I loved it, I had to add an extra hour to the time it took to do the workout and I quickly decided I didn’t have time for exercise!

Exercising at home presents two problems, space and no accountability

In a classroom setting, you get to know your neighbors in your group and there is a subtle expectation that you’ll be there. At home there’s just you and the pets and they don’t really care if you work out or not!

Some people don’t want to devote the space to exercise equipment. If this is you, but home is better than going to a gym or class, then make sure you pick a program that doesn’t require a lot of equipment. We’ll review program choice in Step 3.

I have a room in my garage that gets used for a lot of sundry items. It’s a dog kennel, seed starting station, garden fertilizer mixing station, storage for old coats, wedding paraphernalia, and now, exercise room.

I decided I could clear out a corner devoted to exercise. I knew I wouldn’t need a ton of equipment, but I still have a few items that I’ll use which brings me to the next step!

Oh – and my perfectly imperfect workout space? Still has a dog kennel, seed starting area, and wedding dress storage!

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