I was mildly amused by a silly remark I heard recently. What prompted the remark was that a woman in her sixties was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. After being very active for the majority of her life her family considered her the symbol of health. They were all taken aback that the healthiest of their kin would be among the first stricken with a form of cancer. This being the case, one of her relatives commented "Jeez, all those years of exercise and eating right for nothing".

My question for you today is...Why do you exercise? As with many areas of life, there is sometimes too much focus on the destination and not enough awareness of the journey. You know the old saying, Stop and smell the roses along the way. We go to college to earn the degree, but do we enjoy the knowledge we obtain in the process of achieving it? We hike to reach the peak of the mountain, but do we enjoy the challenge of muscle burn and the beauty around us as we work our way up the incline? Many of us will begin a project with the end in mind; and that is good to stay focused on the goal. But it is so important to absorb, enjoy and remember the progression toward completion. Never is this more apparent than in the quest for fitness.

The majority of people will begin a fitness program to lose weight, period. Even if the goal is to build strength or simply to become more active, the personal development an individual will experience is so crucial for self-affirmation, and that becomes more and more evident through the course of action. Think about it, in most situations someone can cheat a given process. In school, we can cheat on a test. To get to a mountain top, we could drive or 'fly', instead of hike. Instead of making cookies, we can buy them at the store. With any project, it is always easier to have the strenuous and challenging part done for us, and sometimes there is no other way. But, let us never forget the overwhelming sense of accomplishment when we have worked through a process, complete with obstacles and a bit of 'elbow grease', and only after the persistence do we succeed to the finish. This is what builds confidence, self-esteem and resilience in your ability, not only in the present but also for reference as to one's ability for future issues that will inevitably arise.

When exercising, it would be great if everyone could appreciate the immediate benefits rather than the adamant lust for bodily perfection. I am talking about the benefits that start the day of your workout, the ones that do not fall in the delayed gratification category. The relief of stress from a day's events; the post-workout tiredness that promotes a good night's sleep, the physical and mental stimulation while working out and the serene mentality that follows - all these, experienced the day of your exertion. And, since they all contribute toward better well being, it is amazing there is not more enthusiasm about fitness. You will also notice that the aforementioned factors have nary a mention of 'burning fat' or 'losing weight'. The topics of less fat and less weight are simply positive side effects that present themselves after this simpler notion to just feel better.

I think sometimes the disregard to exercise boils down to the fear of inability to meet one's own expectation of the perfect body. In many areas of life, sometimes we are hesitant to work toward a goal in case we fall below the mark. Perhaps we will be looked at as failures bringing about embarrassment and shame. Rationalizing this uncertainty, we develop all sorts of excuses as to why we are not able to start, much less sustain, a fitness program. But, in the area of fitness, exercising to enjoy the immediate benefits is a great way to set yourself up for success. By simply taking part in a daily ritual that brings about contented feelings of small successes, you will find that the resulting satisfaction can prompt an even stronger passion for fitness that in the long term will only bring more and more exciting results. And like the lady at the beginning of my story, exercise will not always be able to completely shield you from ill health, but for anecdotal sake, you must know that this particular person's recovery has been quite rapid and her prognosis is as bright as the forthcoming summer days.