“Every strike brings me closer to the next home run.”  ~Babe Ruth

You know, wouldn’t it be great if that were true for all aspects of life?  But I fear that maybe it isn’t true for trying to establish healthy eating practices or getting out of the recliner and exercising.  I think maybe all I’m doing is just getting lots of good practice at eating things that are not healthy for me and practicing being lazy and lethargic.  It’s tough, but it’s truth.  And sometimes we just need to admit the truth.  The good news is that it doesn’t have to be a lifestyle choice forever.  I can do something different tomorrow or even at my next meal. I can “get up off of that thing” at any given moment.  I don’t have to wait for an exercise class or a friend who wants to walk with me.  That’s the difference between me and Babe Ruth.  Babe Ruth always had to wait for the next baseball game to make that strike or homerun.  I can hit my own homerun at any instant that I decide to.

You know what makes exercise tolerable until you can get back in the swing and make it an enjoyable habit again?  MUSIC!!  I plug in my earpieces and I don’t even realize how long I’ve been moving or feel how tired I am.  I’m just rocking and rolling along!  It’s great!  Did you know that there is something in music that elevates our endorphine levels?  It’s true.  And endorphines are probably the source of the best legal natural high you can get!  Here’s what elevated endorphines can do for you:

  • Control persistent pain
  • Control the craving for chocolate and potentially addictive substances
  • Control feelings of stress and frustration
  • Regulate the production of growth and sex hormones
  • Reduce symptoms associated with eating disorders

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    So, plug in your favorite tunes and “get up offa that thang and dance til you feel better; get up offa that thang and try to release the pressure!”  By the way, you can’t sit still when you’re listening to James Brown sing that tune!