I nipped the buds

If I’ve heard one universal message since I started this journey, it’s this:

Exercising sucks.

I’ve never been a big fan, myself. Oh, I was always active as a kid/teen. I played basketball and softball from sixth through 12th grades, and I could always be coaxed outside for a neighborhood game of Hide ‘N’ Seek.

But I was having fun. I was running somewhere, not just hitting a monotonous stride on a treadmill.

Maybe that’s Lesson No. 1: Have fun.

I’d love to find a Zumba class here in the Saginaw area, because that sounds like a lot of fun. I’ve done aerobic kickboxing in the past, and that is great, too.

But for now, it’s trudging to the treadmill at 5-ish a.m., and that’s not much fun.

Still, it’s a necessity.

So I look to music to make it suck less. I previously shared with you what’s currently on my iPod to get my butt moving. Today I’ll share the rest of the suggestions that came when I requested them via Facebook. Lots of great ideas.

One change I have made is I’m no longer using the ear buds. I swear my fat ears kept squeezing them out while I was walking.

Oh, you laugh, but I’m the same girl who has had socks fit too tight and whose fat head has caused headbands to pop off and shoot across the room.

I’m fat where you don’t even know there’s fat. But I digress.

I’ve changed to an iPod docking station with speakers (pictured), and that’s working much better. Luckily, the treadmill room is on the opposite end of the house from my baby’s room, so my early morning jam sessions are still unbeknownst to him.

There are other clever ways to make exercising tolerable.

My boss told me that her sister would tape “General Hospital” during the day, and then watch it while she walked the treadmill at night.

My grandma told me about a lady she read about in a magazine who would buy books on CD (now you can get them right on your iPod … how convenient!) and would allow herself to listen to them only when she was walking.

She would get so eager to find out what happened next in the book that she found herself walking all the time just to listen to it.

What tips do you have to help get us moving?

As promised, here is the lengthy list of others’ iPod suggestions. Rock on …

Roll Me Away, Bob Seger
Born to Run, Bruce Springsteen
Up Around the Bend, Creedence Clearwater Revival
When Love Comes to Town, U2 and B.B. King
Wind it Up, Gwen Stefani
O Saya or Jai Ho, Slumdog soundtrack
Crazy in Love, Beyonce
Dancing with Myself, Billy Idol
Right Round, Flo Rida
Barracuda, Heart
Jump Around, House of Pain
Let it Rock, Kevin Rudolf/Lil Wayne
Human & When You Were Young, The Killers
Funkytown, Lipps Inc.
Grace Kelly, MIKA
Promiscuous, Nelly Furtado/Timbaland
It’s My Life, No Doubt
Crazy Little Thing Called Love, Queen
Higher Ground, RHCP
Las de la Intution and Whenever, Wherever, Shakira
Major Tom, Shiny Toy Guns
Wolf Like Me, TV on the Radio
Summer of ’69, Bryan Adams
Walkin’ on Sunshine, Katrina and the Waves
Sir Duke, Stevie Wonder
Danger Zone, Kenny Loggins
Another One Bites the Dust, Queen
Kickstart My Heart, Motley Crue
Getting’ Better, Tesla
She Works Hard for the Money
You’re the Best Around, Karate Kid soundtrack
Push It to the Limit, Scarface soundtrack
Umbrella and Shut Up and Drive, Rhianna
Give It Up, Etta James and Steve Winwood
I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles), The Proclaimers
That’ll Be the Day, Buddy Holly
Up in Here, DMX
Cupid Shuffle, Cupid
I Want You to Want Me, Cheap Trick
Black or White, Michael Jackson
Country Grammer, Nelly
Hollaback Girl, Gwen Stefani
Shook Me All Night, AC/DC
Lump and Peaches, Presidents of the United States of America
Ballroom Blitz, Sweet
Rock Lobster, B-52s
Rebel Yell, Billy Idol
Dude Looks Like a Lady, Aerosmith
Home, Marc Broussard
Superstitious, Stevie Wonder
Mercy, Duffy
The “Rocky” theme song
I’m a Loser, I’m Down and I’m Only Sleeping, The Beatles
Jump, Van Halen
Mony, Mony, Tommy James & The Shondells
At the Hop, Danny & The Juniors
The Twist, Chubby Checker
The Bunny Hop, Ray Anthony
The Chicken Dance, Bob Kames
The Hokey Pokey, Ray Anthony
Shout, Isley Brothers
Rock This Town, Stray Cats
Land of 1000 Dances, Wilson Pickett
Joy To The World, Three Dog Night
Born to Be Wild, Steppenwolf
Kicks, Paul Revere and the Raiders
YMCA, Village People
Fame
Two Princes, Spin Doctors
Rock N Roll All Night, KISS
Back in the USSR, Happy Birthday and Lady Madonna, The Beatles
Too Legit to Quit, MC Hammer
Hey Mama, Black Eyed Peas
Bad Girlfriend, Theory of a Deadman
Sirius, Alan Parsons Project
Remember the Name, Fort Minor
Can’t Be Touched, Roy Jones Jr.
Eye of the Tiger, Survivor
Battle Without Honor or Humanity, Kill Bill Vol. 1 soundtrack
Soldier, Eminem
Welcome to the Jungle, Guns and Roses