I have invited Daylle Schwartz, author of Lessons From A Recovering Doormat Blog, to do a guest post regarding her views on exercise.

Baby Stepping Exercise

I began doing free weight training just a few years ago and got a personal trainer. I’d never done it before and found it tough. As I thought about doing 15 reps with dumbbells, quitting seemed a better option. But my strong self-love made me decide to stop looking at my end goal and take the first step. Instead of 14 more reps, I look toward getting 2 more after the first. When I do, 1 more is good, and then 1 or 2 more. I applaud myself for every rep I complete and focus more on doing 1 at a time with really good form.

Now I see each rep as a victory instead of feeling like a loser for not doing the full 15. Funny thing, I usually do get to 15! If I don’t, it's okay too. Sticking to my workout has increased my self-esteem by a mile! Since I changed my mindset, challenging myself has become fun instead of a tedious activity. And I just bench pressed 40-pound dumbbells! Four reps! Not ONLY 4, but 4 glorious accomplishments. My trainer said I’m the first woman he’s trained that even reached 35 pounds. So I asked to try 40. It might take another year but I will work my way to 15 reps, one at a time.

I encourage you to visit her blog at www.lessonsfromarecoveringdoormat.com. It's informative as well as insightful. You will find her personal story interesting!