I realized recently that I sit at a desk all day during the work week. And when I’m not at work, I’ve got a car that gets me to and from the office. For someone who used to run track and cross country in high school, my daily mobility these days is definitely a “bit” lacking. So, I’ve decided to change that.

Now before I pat myself on the back too much for my new “get up and move” mentality, I need to remind myself of what happened the last time I tried to add an activity like running to my list of hobbies. One day a “bit” ago – and I’d really rather not elaborate on how long ago a “bit” is – I decided to go for a run when I hadn’t been running at all in the year prior to this momentous decision. I got my running gear on, I stretched, and I started out. And within a matter of minutes, two things happened: I got lost and I started to feel awful (that kind of awful you feel when you have not run in at least a year and you suddenly take off to do a 5k).

I didn’t really know how far I would run, and once I realized I was lost, I decided to walk until I figured out where I was. And then once I figured out where I was, I decided I better run back to my starting point and call it a day. I jogged back and figured I must have been gone for quite a long time, and I was feeling pretty proud of myself until I looked at my watch. 15 minutes. I had been gone 15 minutes. And in that time, I had gotten lost and walked around in circles. It was not the most encouraging start to my “get up and move” strategy. In fact, it pretty much parked me for a “bit.”

Now I’m older and wiser, and I’ve decided to take on this “get up and move” idea again. And I’m going to do a better job this time. While I’m still making it up as I go along, at least I’m starting a “bit” more realistically: a mile run yesterday and a 3.2-mile bike ride today. I’m already off to a much better start – all two days of my exercise plan so far! (Yes, I realize I just said two days – but it’s a good start!)

I stopped for water and a picture halfway through my bike ride in the rain.

And I’ve also got some great inspiration this time, too:

• Even though I’m not a child, I still think the First Lady is talking to me.
• For those days I can’t quite get away from the desk, NPR has a few movement tips for me.
• And when I need it, I can just look for motivational stories like this one to keep me going.

And if all of that doesn’t work, my sister is a marathon runner. Yes, sibling rivalry is a strong motivator. If she can run 26.2 miles, I can get up and do a “bit,” too.