Book Report: No Sweat

I decided to read No Sweat by Michelle Segar, Ph. D mostly for Paul. (In our reshuffling of domestic duties I will continue to hold the "Partner Coach" card.) Like most self-help style books, there are some gems of wisdom and then a lot of repetition. Nevertheless, I picked up some really helpful information for the whole family.

The most central theme of the whole book is that exercise has to be something you look forward to. It can either be because the activity is fun and/or because you have an immediate reason for exercise. For me, my immediate reason is because exercise helps my mental health. I need those extra happy chemicals to carry the team when let's say one of my kids starts drumming loudly on the metal mailboxes outside our door early in the morning. 

Speaking of that kid, the book also reinforced the importance of me helping him find a sport that makes him feel confident. One of the biggest barriers for sport for some people is past negative experiences. That barrier doesn't resonate with me and likely won't be the case of this one.

Nevertheless, a certain somebody in our family has more negative memories of gym class. I don't think the scars are to the level of some of the vignettes in the book, but not feeling competent during exercise is a barrier. A larger barrier these days, however, is that our exercise of choice - playing tennis together - is very limited in our city. Berghain isn't the only Berlin establishment with long lines that let people in on a whim.  

While Berlin doesn't have easy access to tennis courts, it does allow us to live car free. Thus, pretty much every activity outside of our home involves exercise. On the rare days that I don't need to shuttle kids around, I usually go on a walk with a friend or listen to an audiobook while walking. I appreciate that the book emphasizes that all movement counts. It doesn't matter how long or what you do. The point is moving. On that note, I'm going to dance around while I hang laundry.