Exercise Tracker

Wednesday, Sept. 23: I've been exercising all along but lost the will to post it every time. Now, I'm gonna start posting it again.

Today: Woah major exercise today. Using 4.5L, I walked 1.3miles at a max rate of 3.2 mph, over 30 mins. :) sweat sweat sweat

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Saturday 7/25: 20 minutes treadmill with 4.5L O2 and at 2.5mph.. Top of Target Heartrate. "Set of 10" - 10 of each of the Jackie Warner moves. Checked the O2- in the clear. Full steam ahead with Core and Upper Body Workout tomorrow! Workout Grade: B. Airway Clearance Grade: A+ Other Medical Stuff Grade: A+

Friday 7/24: Personal Disaster today and still struggling with the O2. Workout Grade: F. Airway Clearance Grade: A+. Other medical stuff grade: B

Thurs. 7/23: Very rough day at work. Hard to get around even with supplemental O2. Just did 15 minutes on treadmill with 4L O2. Workout Grade (7PM): Inc. Airway Clearance Grade: Inc, C+. Keep up the good work.

Wed. 7/22: Will call doc tomorrow. . . that's all I want to say on the bloggy blog.

Tues. 7/21: Very low resting O2 today and even lower O2 with exertion. I don't wanna use a lot of O2 numbers here because I don't want to alarm people who don't understand how it all works with CF. Dedicated the night (and I mean, from 5pm to 10pm, seriously) to meds, airway clearance, meds, airway clearance, eat, airway clearance, shower, airway clearance, etc. etc. etc. while on decreasing amounts of O2. I did not get my saturation up to a point where I thought it was a good idea to exercise. Workout Grade: F. Airway Clearance Grade: A-

Mon. 7/20: 30 minutes walking w/ max 2.8mph and 4.oL O2. Decided to stop the mission of pretending I'm a runner. Feel good about that. Hurrah! After my period ends (to be honest), I'm back on the upper-middle-lower body workouts too. Workout Grade: B+

SIDE NOTE!

On 7/20/09, I realized that all of my dates were wrong because I was just tracking it all wrong and not paying attention to a calendar. So- time for some changes! Now I will track my exercise with the NEWEST at the top, and I will start over TODAY!!!

OLDER POSTS:
1: 7/9: 25 minutes walking @ 2.8mph. 15 seconds running!
(more on this development later!)

2: 7/10: 15 minutes walking @ 2.8mph. 30 seconds running!
Full Lower Body Workout. It's lunge-tastic! It's squat-riffic!
It's the Jackie Warner Workout!

3: 7/11: 30 minutes walking @ 2.8mph. 45 seconds running! "Too much or too fast!" says my heart monitor. Any thoughts on the speed of running?

4: 7/12: Fever (100). A calm day. 15 minutes walking @ 2.8mph. No running.

5: 7/13: Fever (99). Though after chatting w/ Mom and reviewing the Catholic teaching, I now believe I was just ovulating. No joke. 20 min @ 2.8 mph. w/ 3.5 L O2

6: 7/14: Ignoring Ovulation Fever (99). 30 min @ 2.8mph. Based on yesterday's O2 tracking, decreased to 3L O2. SUCCESSFUL!

7/15 NO EXERCISE. I SUCK.

DAY 1: 7/16: 30 mins@ 2.8mph w/3L O2

DAY o: 7/17: Excused* absence from gym class today. My Mom wrote this note. I'll play tomorrow. *I will only accept comments on this from readers with a uterus.

DAY 2: 7/18: 20 minutes between 2.8mph and 4mph. 4L O2. Was trying to work in 60 seconds of running. This is my third and final attempt. My heart-rate goes too high. I will work up to it more gradually.

More to follow . . .

Quickie 2

The second quickie is never as good as the first.
First you do a quickie and you think, hey! that was fun!
Then you do a second and you think, well that's just great. now we're at this phase in the bloggy relationship. already. that's just great.

haha. ok, I'll change the subject.

Exercise today- Remember about two weeks ago I gave up running and I wrote a big bloggy about it with Homer Simpson at the top? How could I forget? These past three days of trying to run again were more stupid than Homer J. Simpson. My workout is going great every morning until I try to run for a mesely (measily? meazilly? Is that even a real word?) for 45 FRIGGIN seconds (friggin is not a real word but at least I know for sure how it's spelled) - I am ruining the glory of my morning workouts.

Tomorrow, the true test. First day of rehearsal. Must exercise at 5:45. That's right, in the aaaaaaaaaa mmmmmmmmmmmmm.

It's a plan.

In the meantime, my yuckie production has quadrupled. If I were a Yuckie Factory, which by definition, the CFers are, I would be rockin the profits.

Go me, get my Yuckies out.

Only downside: sorta wheezy. I think this will pass. I have always had the trouble that the clearer my chest is, the worse my asthma symptoms are. Ironic how my lungs can get irritated just by being exposed to the actual air and not layered in Yuckies, isn't it?

Ok, this Yuckie post is making me feel yuckie.

Goodnight to you,
CG

Catchup, People! And new exercise idea

I've been told lately that there are too many long posts up and that people want a sec to catch up. Okay- so here you have it tonight!!

A few brief updates:

There will actually be less narrative posts, I think, in the next two weeks because I start a huge project on Monday (yay) and anticipate being busy at night getting ready for the morning. Due to my new project over the next two weeks . . .

I also ! am bravely ! starting !! a morning !!! workout !!!! routine tomorrow !!!!! I'm going to try to work out in the morning, which I only succeeded in doing at Pulmonary Rehab. But I DID do it. But it sucked. But I DID do it. I think it is ultimately better for my lungs to go through that process, though it is not more gentle on them or on my diaphragm, because I have pretty bad morning cough. BUT it makes the rest of the day better. I don't know.

I'm going to try it though... I'll report back. In an ideal world, I could exercise at 5PM or 6PM when I'm home before dinner, feel like it, I am intellectually drained from the day but not physically tired, and my lungs would remain clear a full 24 hours until the next workout. Alas, the world is not ideal.

The downsides (for me) to a morning workout are: I am not that coherent in the morning, have to lay out workout shoes, socks on the treadmill; neurotic fear or sleeping through it that interrupts sleep; actual sleeping through it; general loss of sleep associated with waking up earlier; cats do not seem in favor of it; I cough harder but get less up. Real morning airway clearance still happens in the shower best (for me) with the steam; my diaphragm/abdomen gets sore more often and more easily from this rougher coughing; morning workouts rule out breakfast by increasing my morning nausea; I don't get as clear of an idea of my O2 needs because my O2 is significantly worse upon waking, gets better when up and about.

Upsides: Lungs do clear better during shower; lungs are clearer for the start of the work day; Workout is done so I feel like a superwoman all day thinking, "I worked out at 5:30, what did YOU do today?!"; general bragging rights; its cooler out in the morning; if I get in the rhythm I can commit to it 100% No schedule conflicts with the ass-crack of morning.

Tell me this, bloggy readers, when do you exercise?

***THIS JUST IN! Casey wants to know too!!!*** Click Here

CG

Know When To Walk (away), Know When To . . . Walk.

NEWSFLASH!
CG is now on Twitter! Follow me with username CysticGal ! I can't wait to tweet with you.

I realized my dates were wrong in the Exercise Tracker! New Exercise Tracker coming! I've been at it every day except 2- both publicized honestly :) Thanks for all your support!

On to the regular post . . .

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Know When to Walk (away), Know When to . . . Walk

Ok Readers. Here it is. I'm gonna give it to you straight. After 30 days of research, both bold and careful, easy and hard- here is the hard truth.

I am not a runner.

I am no "RunSickboyRun." I'm never gonna be one of those peeps who runs a marathon and "oh my God she has Cystic Fibrosis!!" is said on the evening news. It's not in the cards. Not this year.

For the past thirty days, I've been conducting secret research, trying different methods to try to incorporate running into my workout. I was a Cystic Gal with a dream. I tried doing one minute of running every ten minutes of my work out. Nope. I tried doing thirty seconds. Nope. I tried FIFTEEN FRIGGIN SECONDS. Nope. My heartrate is not happy with me running, and neither is my O2 regardless of how high it is set. My lungs and heart are not ready to run.

Sigh.

I'll be okay.

To bring me out of my doldrums, I wrote myself a little diddy. It is sung to the tune of "The Ants Go Marching In." (the kids song, not the DMB song).

Gal Goes Walking In
By Cystic Gal

2.8-3.5 for me, hurrah. hurrah.
2.8 is the speed to beat, hurrah, hurrah.
3.5 is the max for me, hurrah, hurrah.
I'm the best walker, you see- HURRAH! HURRAH!

My point: I am learning that it is not about matching someone else's workout even if that's your romantic dream. I have much lower FEV's and O2 SATs than most of my bloggies. I canNOT compare myself to them fairly. I might as well compare myself to Lance Armstrong. That would be pointless.

I must work to the highest part of my target heartrate, and keep my 02 between 88 and 95, and sustain for >30minutes! That is all!

I worked hard today! HURRAH!!!

Goodnight, bp

REASON #11: The Ultimate Rationalization

This is a follow-up to my original post, The Top Ten Reasons Not to Exercise (with CF). Please check it out if you haven't already, so that you'll understand the nature of this post. Like the original Top Ten Reasons, it will be in two parts. A) The narrative reason that a CFer thinks/says when sharing why they simply cannot exercise. B) Why their narrative featured in Part A is totally craptacular.

PART A: The Reason
11. The Ultimate Rationalization: (A) I just want to live my life . . . or some other very honest, yet very dramatic statement. These might include: (B) I'm so tired of all of this; (C) People without CF don't have to work out on their weekends/holidays/birthday; (D) It doesn't make a difference anyway, I'm going to die from this disease whether I exercise right now or not.

WARNING! (Part E) When pushed, the CFer may raise the stakes in conversation and exhibit hostile behavior, muttering phrases such as: When you have 40% lung capacity you can tell me what I need to do; If you ask me whether or not I worked out again, I'm going to sell that bleeping treadmill on craigslist tomorrow; or my personal favorite: Ahh! Leave me the f alone . . . What are we doing for dinner?

PART B: Why that reason is total crap.
11. Okay, before I address each point - Get the fuck over yourself for a second. Or better yet, 45 minutes. Get over yourself for 45 minutes and work out this little mental breakdown while you're on the treadmill.

Now, Addressing Reason as Quoted A) Yes, you want to live your life. You deserve to live a healthy, balanced life. If you don't have 3o minutes to spare today, then clearly your life is not very balanced. Because honey, you deserve 30 minutes of working out, and that time is all for you. Be late to the party, or go in late to work. Stay up late -it's fun. Take a sick day if you have to. Get some time on the schedule for you you you and get that ass on the treadmill while you're at it.

B) If you are feeling emotionally, mentally or physically fatigued there is no excuse for avoiding exercise. It will help you with all of these problems. It's a proven fact. Don't make me get all citationy again. Especially if your lungs feel all closed up and swampy, you need to get some exercise to breath clearer, then think clearer, then feel a little better.

C) If we are going to list all of the things that people without CF don't have to do, we could be here all day. But, we should then list every disease and personal problem you don't have, too, and make a list of all the shit you don't deal with that others do. Life is not fair. Even a seven year old knows that. Go tell someone in a wheelchair that you're so upset about walking on the treadmill for 30 minutes. See what that person has to tell you, if you're interested in fairness.

D) Every single day you make about a hundred decisions that actively affect the status of your body tomorrow. You've known that since you were only a little child. So don't get all high and mighty about this issue like it's a realization you just had over a cup of tea and Oprah. You obviously want to live in as health of a body as you can, for as long as you can (and if not, that's okay too, for a little while, but you should go talk to someone about it, seriously). If you want to live in the healthiest version of you, you gotta exercise. And you're just being dramatic so shut the f up. PS: Don't make your loved ones cry by saying that crap out loud. It is mean.

In regards to Part E) WARNING: There is no way out of these conversations for the non CFer. No, parents, spouses, lovers and friends. This is the CF equivalent of "Do I look fat in this?" The conversation is only gonna get worse.

For the CFer him/herself: When faced with the horrible Reason #11, Part E: You need to do a few things: 1) Calm down by whatever means necessary. Hot bath. Hot toddie. Whatever. 2) You need to eat something that you really really like to eat. 3) You need to spend some time with yourself 4) You need to exercise and go to bed. If you really really can't do the exercise part, you have to do all the other 3 steps, and go to bed early. Sleep well, and wake up in a better place tomorrow.

PS. You should only experience Reason #11 Part E one or two times per year. So if you're riding the Ultimate Rationalization Fast Train on a weekly basis, it's time to get some help with finding a better way to cope. Seriously. Nothing a little anti-depressant, therapy, or a trip to see Mom can't fix. Whatever works for you.

With Love, CG

For Curious Friday Night Readers

A special shout out to Ronnie, and thanks to everyone who read yesterday's post and commented or emailed me.

I plan to add a special REASON #11 on the TOP TEN REASONS NOT TO EXERCISE WITH CF, and this will be called:

REASON #11: The Ultimate Rationalization: I just want to live my life.

And don't you worry, I will address it in the same (hopefully) quippy, shut-the-f-up-already style with which I addressed the other ten reasons :)

I DID exercise today, so I'm back on Day 2. I did a wicked good workout today even though it is HOT out, and now I am going out! I plan to post later but I didn't want to leave ya hanging.

Have Some Fun Tonight, whatever you do!

And Ronnie, Friday night in the big house are my favorite. So quiet!! A little Peace and Quiet after a storm of getting settled in your room and for your "Runaway Truck Ramp."

Love, CG

"And on the seventh day . . . "

"And on the seventh day . . ."

Cystic Gal took a nap.

It was just the day before yesterday that I wrote The Vow of the Cardio, and only yesterday that I revised it. Yesterday. The seventh day that never was. My entire reason for making The Vow of the Cardio was to break my bad habit of taking a day off from formal exercise. I do this every week. It is like a mental block or a secret desire to complain the next day or something. It is ridiculous. It is inexcusable. Yesterday, I DID NOT WORK OUT.

Yesterday: I sat in the sun for 1 hour, 15 minutes while reading; I took at 2 hour long nap; I fooled around with my blog here and there and all day long for certainly an hour or so total; I talked on the phone a lot; I made a contract for a gig coming up; I started the process on getting another contract for my new colleague; I had my friend T-Money over and even actively thought, "it is a perfect amount of time to work out, while she drives over!" BUT DID I? OH NO!

And my lungs were double mad at me for this decision. They were wheezy and making a crinkly noise by the time I went to bed despite my airway clearance. They were an f-in' nightmare this morning. They were glarpy and glorpy during rehearsal. They gave me shit during airway clearance today. They were pissed, and I could not blame them. My lungs can be real bitches when they've been ignored and lied to.

Of course, there is another side to this. Looking over my list of the Top Ten Reasons Not To Exercise With CF, I left one off, which I will now add. My rationalization yesterday is that my life comes first. Meaning, my social-spiritual-emotional-artistic LIFE. My LIFE comes before my health. I stay healthy so that I can live my Life. I don't live my Life to prove that I can stay healthy. This, I know, is something that not all CFers, CF parents, or CF caregivers (medical or non), agree with. They would say, "You have to stay healthy so that you can live your life," which on the surface, sounds true. Well, it is true. You have to physically stay alive so that you can continue any kind of a living breathing life whatsoever. However, my life with CF is about choices, grande sweeping conceptual ones like "My Life comes before my Health," and smaller ones like "I really want to spend time laughing with my friend tonight. I'm really enjoying this. I don't want her to go home yet," or the opposite, "I'm not going to that birthday party. I simply cannot. I have to stay home and take care of myself tonight."

The way that I take care of myself on one day may mean to stay up late hysterically laughing with my girl friend talking about boys (and yes, I'm older than 15), and some other day it may mean skipping out on an event I was really looking forward to, in order to work out and do meds and really push the airway clearance.

I will never be the CF patient who chooses only the second option. I will always live my Life first.

This got me thinking, how did I get here? Why do I feel so strongly about the Life element in my . . . well, life? Here is the first chapter of Cystic Gal: the future book or something.

Until my mid-teens I was under the care of physician Dr. Lewis E. Gibson and his nurse, M-huggy. His name is probably the only real doctor's name that I'll use on this blog, and I use it now because he passed away in 2008 and I know inexplicably that I will only say complimentary things about him. He was a pioneer in CF medicine for a lot of reasons, including his invention of the sweat test used to diagnose CF, and his study of many of the common practices in CF care including the use of mist tents on patients in the 1970s and prior years. During the time that he practiced medicine, he saw the expected age of mortality for CF patient go from younger than ten years old, to older than thirty. CF went from a "childhood disease" to a "genetic disease affecting 30,000 adults and children nationwide." I think of his mind as an extraordinary timeline filled with data, pictures of patients, difficult conversations with patients, patient conversations, wellness, illness, death and Life in CF with its successes, failures, and choices made in CF care.

A side note: Dr. Gibson often told the same stories over and over again. You will know a patient of Dr. Gibson's if you can get his account of where "the shot heard 'round the world" was fired from. He told me on more than one occasion that his motivation for studying the long-term use of mist tents in CF was not really motivated by the moisture levels in the lungs and bacteria growth and all that, but that, "it just didn't seem right anyhow," and "practices like that can do a lot of damage to the patient's sense of normalcy." He was interested in getting rid of the mist tents because they were terrifying to look at and made the kids feel like they were dieing. Oh, and they were actually helping grow the Yukkies. That too. Dr. Gibson cared about how the science served the patient, not just how the patient reacted to the "best science."

When Dr. Gibson retired, he wrote a poignant yet professional, emotional yet instructive letter to families and patients under his care. Though I don't know for sure (and I'm sure somebody could look it up), I doubt his practice had a great attrition of patients from year to year. He cared for me for 15 years from the day he met me at 6 months old and wrote, "Baby [CG] in good spirits reporting her chief complaint to be recent diagnosis of Cystic Fibrosis," until his retirement party in 1995. He cared for my sister for approximately 18 years until she left for college. He cared for my God brother until his lung transplant in 1994. My family and others made extraordinary sacrifices to remain under his direct care.

In his letter to families, after approximately fifty years of crafting, evaluating and revising CF care in his centers and for others, Dr. Gibson wrote a letter that reminded his patients to put their Lives, their families, their relationships, their happiness first. I am paraphrasing now, but will revise later - he said that care should never become so costly, so time-consuming, or so personally overwhelming to patients or families, that patients are not able to enjoy life.

I will always put my Life first because I want to enjoy Life.
My Life keeps me healthy.

(which is not, truly, the reason that I did not exercise yesterday. I did not exercise yesterday because I was being a bloggy, tanning, phone chatting brat. But I think this line of thought that I began here, is more valuable than that particular Epiphany.)

Goodnight. From Day One,
CG

The Vow of the Cardio- REVISED

The Vow of the Cardio.

It is a promise between me and my lungs.

1. I will exercise daily so that my lungs can reach their capacity and serve me better.

2. I will exercise for a minimum of 30 sustained minutes every single day no matter what.

3. Only my own doctor himself can tell me not to exercise.

4. I will keep oxygen for for a variety of types of exercise by calling the 02 company ahead.

5. I will not "replace" daily cardio/aerobic exercise with yoga, sex, or weight lifting.

6. I will monitor my O2 SAT and heart rate diligently and work to my full potential.

7. I will not get mad at myself or my Lungs if they have a bad day, week, month, or year.

8. I will set goals for me and my Lungs, and when we complete them, I will reward us.

9. I will continue exercising my Lungs daily during a health setback.

10. I will be honest with my Readers about my adherence to The Vow of the Cardio.

Make you own ten-point "Vow of the Cardio" today! Don't make YOUR Lungs say, "What have you done for ME lately?"

In an upcoming post, "The Lung Agreements," or what your lungs promise to do for you.

-CG

The Vow of the Cardio-ORIGINAL

The Vow of the Cardio.

NOTE: This version of the Vow will remain published, but revisions will be posted here, as I move forward with my progress and thoughts on exercise!

You, too, may take this vow. Or you may make your own. It is a promise between you and your lungs.

1. I vow to provide my Lungs with daily exercise so that they can serve me to the best of their ability.

2. I vow to exercise my Lungs for a non-negotiable minimum of 30 sustained minutes every day including during religious holidays, family events, unforeseen circumstances, and regardless of the time of day, the status of my Tummy, and even when I am very sick unless my doctor actually tells me directly that I may not exercise.

3. I promise my Lungs that their oxygen needs will be met. To ensure that my Lungs will believe me, I will call my home health company ahead of time to prepare for travel, holidays, and changes to my routine. I will program the home health 02 company's name into my cell and set reminders to call them for supplies.

4. I will not fool my Lungs that other forms of non-sustained exercise can take the place of my Cardio/aerobic time. I will use other forms of exercise to compliment my aerobic activity, not replace it.

5. I will monitor my Lungs' ability to use O2, and the status of their dearest friend, the Heart, by checking my O2 SAT and pulse. I will work to my full potential during my workouts by steadily increasing the difficulty as I track my improvements. I will expect my Lungs to work to their full potential, but I will not get mad at them if they have a bad day, week, month, or year.

6. I will set goals for me and my Lungs, and when we complete them, I will reward us handsomely. The goals I set will not be based on how "hard" I work out, but how often, as I cannot truly control how fast I can go or how long I can go on a given day.

7. I promise to keep exercising my Lungs during a health setback- especially during a health setback. My Lungs are sad then and need the pick-me-up endorphins.

8. I will use The Vow of the Cardio to defeat The Demonic Yukkies and their ever-increasing liege, and drive them out of my Lungs forever.

9. I promise to review my Vow regularly, both alone with my Lungs, and with my physician, to make changes as needed.

10. I promise my Lungs that I will be honest with my Readers about my adherence to The Vow.

Make you own ten-point "Vow of the Cardio" today! Don't make YOUR Lungs say, "What have you done for ME lately?"

In an upcoming post, "The Lung Agreements," or what your lungs promise to do for you.

-CG

Top Ten Excuses Not To Exercise with CF (and why they are crap)

DISCLAIMERS: 1) I am not a doctor. At all. I have two degrees in the arts. Half the time I don't even believe in Western Medicine.

2) I am teaching young children this week. As a result, I do not use any bad language or even frown much all day. This leads me to swear a lot at night. I don't know why, but it's true. The below post has some cursin' in it.

Top Ten Excuses Not To Exercise with CF

1. I can't exercise on an empty stomach, and I haven't eaten something in at least . . . ten minutes.

2. I just ate so many calories, I can't exercise NOW! My tummy may start to hurt at any moment. I must lay down and wait for it to start.

3. I better not burn too many calories. I'm trying to gain weight. I will eat this treat instead of working out. All the better!

4. I will have more energy to exercise after my nap.

5. I walked around so much at work today. And that is extra hard for me, since my lungs are broken and all.

6. My oxygen is so low today, I can't exercise. It might kill me dead.

7. My oxygen is super great today, my lungs must be nice and open already! Good job, me. Time for a nap.

8.The gym has so many germs. I can't go there September through March.

9. It is lonely to work out alone at home. It depresses me to think of it. If I get depressed, that is surely bad for me, too, right?! I must avoid it and all its possible causes.

10. Remember that hemoptysis in 2005? That was horrible. Don't want that to happen again. Better not do anything too crazy, today, July 10, 2009. Better take some Vitamin K and take it easy.

If The Top Ten Reasons Not to Exercise with CF did not address your own reason, maybe your reason is more serious. More important. More personal. For this, See my post on REASON #11 .

Why These Excuses Are Crap

1. Eat a power bar and suck it up. You can eat all you want in just thirty minutes (or so.) If CFers avoiding doing things every time they felt a bizarro hunger pang, nothing would ever get done. Ever. The CF world would stop turning while we all ate a Snickers. Learn to pack some goddamn snacks already.

2. Thinking about possible things that can go wrong with your body in the future is not a good reason to not exercise, not take a job you want, not date a boy/girl, or just about anything. I mean, jeeez, worry about all the things that are CURRENTLY wrong with your body and leave the future to the psychics (at statcounter.com).

3. Exercise will make you super hungry. You will eat more calories than you burn away because you will be craving craving craving foods when you're done and the next day. If not, drink an Ensure/Boost/ScandiBLAH and once again, suck it up.

4. There is no actual evidence that napping leads to increased exercise. Sorry, folks. Exercising, however, will make you sleep better at night so you will be less inclined to feel like you really need a nap during the day.

5. While your lungs might be "broken," they are not yet broken down. You need to keep driving that "1980's bitchin' Camaro" set of lungs around the block. And around the block. And around the block. For at least 30 minutes.

6. If you know your oxygen SATurations are low, it means you monitor your SATs, which probably means you have supplemental oxygen. So crank that shit to 4L and get off your ass.

7. If your SATs are great today it probably means that you exercised yesterday. Wouldn't it be great to have great SATs tomorrow, too? Plus, the Demonic Yukkies in your lungs don't remember that you exercised yesterday. They go ahead and continue their mighty wrath ignoring your exercise goals. You must beat them down with the Vow of the Cardio. (more on this, the Vow, in upcoming posts.)

8. Okay okay okay. The gym has germs. You have choices: invest in a sturdy piece of home exercise equipment; take the workout outdoors (yikes!); rent some good cardio DVDs or start to TIVO the exercise channel; or get the f over it, sanitize your hands, and go to the gym. You must make a choice.

9. It is not really lonely to work out alone. You can cough up the Demonic Yukkies and look like shit and play Justin Timberlake, or Meatloaf, or whatever your secret workout music is. Without the damn earbuds.

10. Similar to answer 2 above, thinking about all of the things that have gone wrong with your body in the past is not a good reason to not exercise. Continue a reasonable level of worry over all the things that are surely CURRENTLY wrong with your body, which might even lead you to crave exercise, and leave the past in your Hello Kitty Diary.

If The Top Ten Reasons Not to Exercise with CF did not address your own reason, maybe your reason is more serious. More important. More personal. For this, See my post on REASON #11 .