Why am I not exercising regularly yet?!

As you probably know, I spent the second half of 2014 recovering from a very bad leg break and the leg surgery that followed it. 

I spent months telling myself and anyone who would listen that I couldn't wait to be able to walk again, and that as soon as I could do so, pain free, I would be walking and exercising constantly because it really sucked being forced into stationary lifestyle.  It's one thing to choose it, it's quite another to have no say in it whatsoever.

A couple of weeks ago, I was told that I was now allowed to exercise regularly.  Around that same time, walking stopped hurting (for the most part, I still limp some days - mostly due to my new superpower ankle that predicts the weather with PAIN!).  And yet...  I am still not exercising.

Why did I assume that as soon as I was given the green light from my doctor to exercise, that I would be able to easily get right back into it?

That's a head-scratcher.  I should have probably known from experience that whenever one takes time off from any activity, getting back into it is HARD. 

I have never been in THIS situation before though.  Yeah, walking short distances (say, around the office or house) doesn't hurt.  But walking for longer periods of time (say, around a gigantic shopping mall for hours of holiday shopping) HURTS LIKE HELL.  And not just in my leg.

My entire body is not used to being upright without support.

My leg hurts and is swollen by the end of a heavy-walking day, but that's just the tip of the painful iceberg.  My back KILLS.  My neck ACHES.  My shoulders WANT TO DIE.  It's all very bad.

So I realize that I cannot just pick up where I left off. 

I actually am going to have to start completely, 100% over.  From the beginning.  I have to start with a ten minute walk around the block, and build myself back up over time.  And I have to learn to be okay with that.

My all-or-nothing brain is pretty pissed off right now.  But I need to stop choosing "nothing", and get on with my exercise routine.  It may not look like the awesome training schedule I had in mind for this year, but it will be something. 

I am going to start by writing a different kind of training schedule, one not meant to train me for a race or event, but to train me to get back into a regular exercise routine filled with the longer cardio sessions that I miss.

The next step will be joining a gym, which I have scheduled for February in my budget.  :-) 

For the next couple of weeks, here is my training schedule:

16-Jan	Walk to apartment gym, 10 minutes eliptical, walk home.
17-Jan	Rest.
18-Jan	Walk to apartment gym, 10 minutes treadmill, walk home.
19-Jan	Walk to apartment gym, 10 minutes eliptical, walk home.
20-Jan	Rest.
21-Jan	Walk to apartment gym, 10 minutes treadmill, walk home.
22-Jan	Rest.
23-Jan	Walk to apartment gym, 10 minutes eliptical, walk home.
24-Jan	Rest.
25-Jan	20 minutes stationary bike at home.
26-Jan	Walk to apartment gym, 15 minutes treadmill, walk home.
27-Jan	Rest.
28-Jan	Walk to apartment gym, 15 minutes elipitcal, walk home.
29-Jan	Rest.
30-Jan	Walk to apartment gym, 15 minutes treadmill, walk home.
31-Jan	Rest.
1-Feb	20 minutes stationary bike at home.
2-Feb	JOIN YMCA.

Maybe by writing down a plan and calling it a training schedule, I will begin to exercise regularly again.  I sure hope so!