A Year of Sloth

Y'all. I have been a lazy bum for the past year when it comes to exercising. Prior to last summer, my routine was to come home from work, take Achilles for his walk, and then every other day I'd ride my exercise bike for about 45 minutes. But it got so belligerently hot last summer that I couldn't walk Achilles in the afternoons for fear he'd burn his paws on the sidewalk, so I started walking him first thing in the morning instead. Then I didn't want to ride my bike after work for fear that when he saw me change into my workout clothes, he'd think it was walkies time again and then he'd be sorely disappointed and give me the sad face.

Of course, I could have started riding the bike in the mornings, but I didn't want to get up that much earlier. So the bike sat idle in the corner of my living room for about a year, collecting dust and silently rebuking me.

I finally decided last week that I needed to suck it up and start waking up earlier to ride before work. I've been getting up half an hour earlier every morning and riding the bike for about 25 minutes after Achilles and I get back from our walk. I've ridden seven out of the past nine mornings and skipped it twice only because I already had early appointments those days and was not about to get up even earlier.

I think the daily thing is going to work out well. I already feel better and stronger after just over a week of regular exercise. I always feel great when I get off the bike, and I think morning workouts are probably better for me than evening workouts, anyway. It's just a matter of having the discipline to wake up early. Now that my RA is so well under control thanks to the Orencia, I really have no excuse, and now that I've gotten into a routine I ought to be able to keep it up. I declare my Year of Sloth officially over.