Do Shopping Marathons Qualify as Exercise?

Do shopping marathons qualify as exercise? I think so. They both require planning, goals, motivation, comfortable shoes, strategy, selectivity, focus, competition, stamina, strength, resilience, aggression, and great eye candy.

Planning makes it easier to focus and get down to business. Without a workout plan, I spend too much time deciding which exercises to do. The same is true with shopping marathons. Planning where I'm shopping and what I'm shopping for saves me. Important note: plan flexibility is required for deviation, detours, and impulsive behavior. See my post about the little black dress at Kohl's.

Motivation is a direct link to making workouts and shopping marathons successful. Something clicks in my head. It pushes me to kick-ass on the track. When I get my shopping groove on, I wake up feeling the rush of adrenaline in my veins. I know achievement is at hand.

Comfortable shoes are critical for sprinting and getting to all the must-have deals before my competition does. Marathon shopping is not for the weak and feeble. Proper foot attire is necessary for speed walking, standing for long hours, kicking competitive shoppers in the shins — just kidding — and avoiding fashion faux pas. 

Strategy is different from a plan. I define strategy as a methodology for ensuring plan success. When I play tennis, it involves opponent assessment, shot placement, and skill inventory. Shopping marathons require store layout assessment, merchandise knowledge, wish list prioritization, time management, competitive shopper analysis, personal shopper recruitment, checkout line comparison and exit preparation.

Selectivity or prioritization enables me to complete timely workouts and saves me from overworking muscle groups. This ideology saves time and money on shopping marathons.

Focus means unwavering drive to achieve or acquire. When I bike the Clinton-Macomb trail, I am driven to ride a minimum of 12 miles. During a shopping marathon, I am focused on acquiring items from my ever-changing wishlist. I do my best not to exit the store until my list is maxed out. But, my children often cause my memory to shortcircuit. This means I forget stuff and repeat visits to fave stores are often necessary.

Competition is a healthy part of any fitness regimen or shopping marathon. It is expected. A competitive fitness program makes exercising fun. At Rochester's Dragonfly Boutique, there are only so many silky jewel-purple ruffly jackets on deep-discount sale racks. Hesitation to grab one-of-a-kind treasures is sure to kill a shopping marathon before it even gets started.

Stamina builds over time. For example, I was huffing and puffing after five minutes on my elliptical machine 10 years ago. Yesterday, I made 4.75 miles in just 30 minutes. At Parisian's Labor Day Sale, I entered the store at 10 am and exited at 3:30 pm. I could have lasted another five hours. But, my children's day with Grandma was ending at 4 pm.

Strength also gains when exercise is consistent, practiced and frequent. Shopping marathons are labor intensive and may require heavy lifting. A strong physique makes it easier to carry shopping bags, push carts and lug anticipated purchases to fitting rooms.

Resilience is especially important during DVD workouts with Jillian Michaels and Bob Harper, Biggest Loser trainers. Shopping marathons — especially ones involving bathing suits — require a tough, resilient attitude. I keep looking and trying stuff on. In the end, I usually find something dazzling. If not, I try again on a different day or after a few 7-and-7s.

Aggression fuels my workouts. I translate daily stress into positive interval and weight-training sessions. Stress and aggression need healthy outlets. Shopping marathon survival requires some aggression. Blocking competitive shoppers, keeping a place in the checkout line, and asking for store assistance all take some finesse. Important note: Stampeding retail employees, injuring/killing others, and fighting for merchandise are not considered retail therapy. Participation in these and other violent crimes while shopping calls for a jail cell.

Great eye candy makes any workout better. I burn hundreds of extra calories while watching movies starring Brad Pitt, George Clooney, Johnny Depp, Hugh Jackman, Matt Damon, or Leonardo DiCaprio. The time and intensity of my workouts increase when I watch these guys. Whatever works, right? Shopping marathons are all about great eye candy. The more the merrier. After taking a few moments to take in all the must-have goodies, my mind clears and I am on-task to accomplish my mission.

The Magic of Football

I love football. Local high school, Big Ten and NFL match-ups are magic. The magic relates to memories, tradition and unmatched athleticism.

Memories near and far make each season. There was nothing better than watching my son, Griffin (3), pump his fists for the Lions as they attempted to beat the NY Jets a few weeks ago. The only moment to top this was at the start of Superbowl XLIV when Griffin and his sister, Maurissa (7) chomped popcorn and belted Louis Armstrong's "The Saints Go Marching In".

Distant memories include drinking beer shots with my dad on football Sundays, watching the Rochester High School Falcons on chilly starlit nights, and spending sunny Saturdays at the Big House in Ann Arbor with my sister, Tina. There are also recollections of early-morning tailgates at Western Michigan University and of passing people up the bleachers — and sometimes cats — at Western Michigan's Waldo Stadium.

Traditions are very much a part of the magic. Nothing compares with watching Lions' football on Thanksgiving. At 12:30 pm, it was all about the Lions battling the New England Patriots for drumsticks while eating mixed nuts, drinking beer, partying with family and smelling turkey dinner. What else do you need?

Another tradition is the selection of alternate NFL teams to follow. My husband, Tracy, and I are loyal Lions' fans. But, we usually abandon hope and cheer for other teams half way through the season. So, at the start of each season, we select alternate NFL teams to follow. Tracy's alternate is always the Pittsburgh Steelers. He is also a close follower of the Patriots.

My alternate selections are based on a good story or a connection to Michigan. For 2010, the New Orleans Saints and the New England Patriots are my two alternates. The Saints' story is incredible and mimics the Lions' story in many ways. First, the Saints play for a city — very much like Detroit — rich in culture and history with a legacy of crime and political corruption. Next, the Saints unified and rallied back from Katrina's devastating damages to the Louisiana Superdome in 2005. My hope — like all Lions' fans — is that one day — like the Saints — Ford and the Lions will wake up. The Lions show up at every contest and "almost" win. But, "almost" is not good enough. It is still a loss and their record is still 2-9. My nod to the Patriots is all about Tom Brady. His talent reminds me that despite recent challenges, the maize and blue are legendary.

Did you realize the end is near? Only nine weeks — including Superbowl XLV — and that's it for football until August 2011. There is always Pistons basketball and Red Wings hockey. Don't get me wrong. I support my teams. But, it just doesn't do it for me like football. The athleticism required to play and win at football is phenomenal and remains unmatched by anything I see on the court or ice.

How about those last four minutes of the Saints face-off against the Cowboys? It looked like a done deal. I hung my head. My shoulders slumped. Then, there it was. A superb defensive maneuver caused the Cowboys to fumble and the Saints to recover the ball. A touchdown drive was next and saved us all from Thanksgiving damnation!

The Little Black Dress

Yesterday, I stopped at Kohl's to make an exchange. After making my selections I headed for the checkout. I was so proud of myself for not straying from my mission. But, the checkout was soooo long. Plus, I had an hour before picking Griffin up from nursery school.

So…

I start looking at other merchandise. Then, I saw it. It was a little black dress from Dana Buchman with a subtle cheetah print and a hint of purple. Ooh la la la!  Tracy would be lovin' this. Plus, it was only $38.

So…

I frantically search the rack for my size. Out of the corner of my eye, I see another shopper looming over me. Despite having 5-6 inches on me, I give her my best smile, block her, and grab the size I want. She wants the same size but the one dress I have is it. She tries to distract me into giving it up. But, I think about how devastated Tracy would be. A night out without this dress just wouldn't end the same way.

So…

I stand my ground, make her laugh about my inability to give up the dress and head for the checkout.