Some people aren't as focused on the long term future and want to focus more on enjoying the present or short term future. I think it is good to balance immediate, middle and long term planning. So, how does exercise benefit me today, tomorrow or next month?
On an ideal day, I like to exercise first thing in the morning for various reasons. Most of the year, it is more comfortable outside in the morning if I am running and it ensures that I will get my exercise in that day. Sometimes, my days don't go as planned and I run out of time and miss my exercise time. But, there are other reasons I like to run in the morning. It helps me get going. It gets my energy level up so I can start my day strong. If I am running, it provides me 30-45 minutes of peaceful, quiet, alone time to think, talk to God and listen to God. That is a great way to start the day. Plus, I feel good the rest of the day when I exercise first thing.
On a bad day, when everything seems to be going wrong, running at the end of the day is helpful. It helps me recover from the day. There have been days that I have exercised at both ends of the day for this reason.
When I was a teenager, and out of shape, we often went to Six Flags in Atlanta. This is a great amusement park with roller coasters and other fun rides. We would go all day and often stand in long lines. My memory is that I would always be worn out and my back would be aching by mid to late afternoon and we usually would stay till it closed around 9 or 10 PM.
2 years ago, we took the family to Disney World for a week. We got to the gates at opening time and didn't leave till closing time every day. That was about 9 AM till 9 PM each day. Since I am cheap, we carried in lots of snacks and water and it was cool with chances of rain so we had layers of clothing to keep up with. We were either pushing a stroller with junk in it or carrying the junk in a backpack while pushing the stroller with Reece in it all day. I never had back pain. I felt great all day, all week. In fact, I got up to run a few days that week prior to going to the parks.
The year after the marathon, we went to DC with Regan and Riley (Reece stayed with family) for a long weekend. Lots of walking and carrying kids and stuff. No pain. No fatigue.
It is nice to be able to outlast your kids on vacations. It is nice to not be worn out before the end of a fun day. It is nice to be able to go on to the next fun thing without needing a rest break.
Why Exercise? Because it helps me start my day, finish my day, enjoy fun days, endure bad days, keep up with my kids, and hopefully keep up with my grandkids and great grandkids some day. It helps me be a better me.
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