Top 10 Secrets to Exercise Adherence!

Tuesday, 23 January 2007

By Nick Neitzel Hire a Personal Trainer.  Even a few sessions can ratchet your regimen up a level.  Working out with a Personal Trainer allows you to focus on the exercise at hand and lets the trainer worry about the routine.  A trainer will keep your workouts fresh and always progressing, and for some people, the small investment is often an additional motivator! Set short term and long term goals.  Even if it is a thought in the back of your head that may be slightly unreasonable, it is worth writing down.  Consult with a Fitness Professional or Registered Dietician to see if these goals are realistic.  Pick a goal for consistency for the first month, a goal for measurable results at the 3 month mark, and finally a long term goal.  Additional goals can be added along the way to serve as positive reinforcement.  If you don't know where you are going, how will you know when you get there? Start slowly and build gradually.  If you are just getting back into exercising try just 5 or 10 minutes of cardiovascular exercise.  If you are good to go the next day, try to increase it to 15 minutes.  Many times people try to make up for lost time or try to start where they left off.  Big mistake!  You will be too sore to workout for the next couple of days and end your workout routine before it even got started. Join a health club.  More than 40% of women age 18 to 30 selected it as their favorite place to work out.  There are additional benefits to working out with others.  You are more likely to show up and complete your workouts if you know others are going through the same struggles as you.  Misery loves company you know! Find an exercise partner.  Working out with someone else usually motivates individuals.  If you have similar goals as you partner, your percentage of success doubles!  On days you don't feel like working out, your partner can usually persuade you to think otherwise (and vice-versa).  The competitive nature in all of us also helps you to strive towards your goals. Record your workouts in detail.  Often times you think you did more than what actually transpired.  Recording your workouts leaves no guessing if you are on the right track or not.  Many times, seeing increases in weights or length of time you performed cardio exercise, can be positive reinforcement. Variety is key.  Do things you enjoy doing.  This sounds simple, but many people choose exercises they think might "be better" for them, but hate every minute of it.   This often causes them to quit a short time later.  To aide in your consistency, develop a range of activities that you enjoy.  Exercising won't become dull or routine if you swim one day, take a yoga class the next day, and a long walk in the park on the weekend.  Exercise your right to choose! Use an exercise gadget.  Pedometers or heart rate monitors are great tools to track your progress or tell you how hard you are working.  A pedometer tracks the number of steps you take, and a heart rate monitor tracks your heart rate during physical activity.  Both are fun to use during your everyday activities and many times will motivate you to take those stairs instead of the escalator. Try a group exercise class.  Many people still think of a Step class as a typical group exercise class.  Coordination is no longer a prerequisite to participating in group exercise classes.  Truth is, classes have evolved and fulfill a variety of interests.  From Spinning classes, to mind/body classes like Yoga or Pilates, there is something for everyone.  There are even classes that focus primarily on weight training. Make your health a priority.  Yada, yada, yada.  You have heard this before, but it is true!  If you are not used to taking care of yourself, making your health a priority might take a little practice.  Eliminate all that negative self-talk such as, "I'm too tired," or "I'm too busy."  Unless your health is a priority, other tasks will fill up that time.  Regular physical activity does take time and energy, but the rewards are definitely worth your efforts!

 

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