Getting Active

Recently, I made a big decision about my life. I decided that I was going to get active.

I know that most people talk about losing weight. We are conditioned to do this – and we are conditioned to give it up as we go on and we don’t see any results on our bodies. Or, worse, we are conditioned to give it up once we have lost all of the weight, only to gain the weight back.

And despite this, I see those commercials for kids to get out and play. It doesn’t tell you what to do or you have to do. Just go out and have fun, which will hopefully convince them to make this a lifelong habit. It’s not about losing weight for kids. It’s enjoying life.

Sometimes we turn off kids to being active, partially because we think there is only one way to do it. When I was in high school during P.E., one of the only ways to be fit was to run. I was a terrible runner. Therefore, I was turned off to a lot of activity.

However, I took dance classes in Hebrew High, and I loved to dance. That is really great activity, and good for the body and mind. It’s very social, not like running. I found that, when there was a social element to activity, I enjoyed it. Every person gets active differently, just like every kid gets out to play and enjoys life differently.

So, what prompted this big decision to get active? I’m sure, since I am not the lightest person on the planet, that a lot of people would wonder why I would make a commitment to getting active versus losing however much weight I should.

But the truth of the matter is that I think of one particular person in my family. He has had a bad back, and has all his life. When I was a child, he and I would go on walks together. He was active and moved around. My sister and I went on adventures with him.

Now, I see a man who has not continued over time to stay active. He sits all the time. He no longer moves as he should. His mind is as strong as ever, but his body can’t go the way it used to. He can’t accomplish all the dreams that he has wanted to fulfill in his later years, all because his body is in the way.

I have a strong feeling that I may have inherited parts of this genetic coding. However, I feel that if I start a lifelong commitment to getting active, to moving my body, that there are ways where I won’t live my life in a chair. I refuse to do this. I am thankful for what G-d gave me, so I love the fact I can get up and move around.

So now, I watch those commercials for kids to play outside at 60 minutes. I always wondered why it should be limited to kids. Would it really be so hard for us adults to follow that advice? For companies to allow some time for fun instead of making us sit behind desks all day? Well, I don’t know about the rest of you, but I like going out to play and being able to move my body. It may be worth a try.

In order to get active, you need some serious protein, but you also need the carbs afterwards. But for now, here is a protein-heavy meal: chicken breast, which is perfect to get you going before you work out.

MUSTARD AND HERB CRUSTED CHICKEN

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1/2 cup balsamic vinegar

1/4 cup olive oil

1/2 cup whole grain mustard (see quick tip)

2 tablespoons garlic powder

¼ cup herbes de province

Salt and pepper

Combine the balsamic vinegar and olive oil in a plastic storage bag. Add the chicken breast and put in the refrigerator to marinate.

Meanwhile, combine the mustard, garlic powder and herbes de province in a small bowl and mix. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees

Once the chicken is done marinating, rub with the mustard mixture and place on a cookie sheet. Season with salt and pepper. Put in the oven for 30 minutes. Serve hot.

Quick Tip: Whole grain mustard has all the mustard seeds in them. It’s actually easy to find next to your usual mustards.