It's a new year, and time to get moving!
Although Americans know there are many health risks
associated with a sedentary lifestyle we often feel
overwhelmed with the mere thought of exercise, even though
we know the benefits are plentiful. Not only is exercise
good for your health but it is also good for your mind and
overall sense of well being.
So now is the perfect time to commit
yourself to developing new personal fitness goals for the
new millennium for a new you. Okay, so every year you tell
yourself that this will be your year to get fit. Then,
within three weeks into January you are back to your old pre-New
Year's Resolution habits.
One of the most popular excuses is lack of
time. Who has time to go to the gym, work out, shower,
change, and go home or to work? You should look at it from a
different perspective. Who can afford not to? You need to
make the time to take care of yourself since this will
improve many of the other parts of your life. Here are some
tips for making exercise a permanent part of your lifestyle
in the new year. Good Luck!
1. Commit yourself.
Get moving! Just do it! There is no time
like the New Year, so why not get started now? Sit down and
develop your plan of action and stick with it. You really do
owe it to yourself and your family.
2. Set your goals.
Set goals, both short-term and long-term
goals, and allow yourself rewards for meeting them. For
example, you could set a short-term goal to exercise 3-4
times a week for 30 minutes of cardiovascular exercise and
30 minutes of strength training. Your long-term goal could
be to lose weight or lower your cholesterol level. A sample
reward could be that for every four weeks that you meet your
goals you could get a massage, a new piece of clothing, a
movie, or an evening without the kids.
3. Abandon an all-or-nothing attitude.
Don't think of exercise with an all-or-nothing
approach. If you don't get to exercise as planned, that's
okay, just get back on track tomorrow. Set realistic
exercise goals but understand that some weeks you will meet
your goals and other weeks you won't. If you don't reach
your goals do what you can. Just keep moving and you will
feel much happier. You don't want to give up on your
exercise program since it is such a great way to help
relieve stress!
4. Don't overdo it.
It is very common for people to try to
exercise every day once they start an exercise program.
However, this can often lead to exercise burnout and may
lead to discontinuing exercise altogether. Therefore, you
should set goals, which will enable you to improve your
fitness level without overdoing it.
5. Be efficient.
Make sure that you are working out at a
good intensity level for you. Find out your target heart
rate range and aim for the upper end of it. Make sure you
break a sweat. Also, the higher the intensity level, the
more total calories you burn per minute of exercise. However,
you do not want to work out so hard that you can only
exercise for a short period of time. Your goal should be 3-4
times per week for 30-45 minutes of continuous aerobic
activity. At first, you might need to take a few breaks but
as you become more fit you will be able to exercise for
longer periods of time.
6. Schedule it.
It's so easy to get overwhelmed at work
and skip your workout. One solution is to treat your workout
like a business meeting. Write it in your planner and keep
the appointment. After all, you will perform better at work
if you are taking care of yourself.
7. Make exercise easy.
It is very important to recognize your own
barriers to exercise. Do you have trouble getting to the gym
if you go home first? Do you always hit the snooze button
when you plan to workout in the morning? Do you ever forget
your gym clothes? Once you identify your barriers to
exercise it is imperative that you try to reduce or
eliminate them. Pack your gym bag the night before or keep a
few extra sets of gym clothes in your car or at work. Go
straight to the gym after work if you tend to have
difficulty going once at home.
8. Get adventurous.
Try a new activity every month to avoid
boredom. This will also add more variety to your fitness
routine. Fitness can be a lot of fun, so think of new ways
to add it to your life. Some ideas are kayaking, tennis,
hiking, biking, or Family Olympics. Look on the Internet for
local hiking or biking trails in your area. If you are a
member at a local gym, ask them to show you how to use that
piece of equipment that you have been eyeing in the gym but
you are not sure how to use.
9. Do it at home.
Can't make it to the gym? Well, that's no
excuse! Go to the local sports store or discount store (e.g.
Target or Wal-Mart) and purchase some dumbbells according to
your level of fitness. Start out with a set of 3 and 5 pound
weights. You should be able to purchase the weights for less
than $10.
10. Enlist an exercise buddy.
It always helps to exercise with a friend
since you can help motivate each other on those "I don't
want to exercise" days
