|
|
|
Does Variety In Exercise Matter!
Exercisers who find one activity they love and do it again and again often wonder if they're missing out on anything by not mixing up their routines.
In some respects, variety is irrelevant. If you're exercising primarily to control your...
Exercise For Any Size
Do you feel that you can barely do any activity at all?
That you cannot exercise, play sports, or become more fit?
If you are a very large person, you can still be physically active.
Very large people face special challenges in trying to be...
Get Out and Play: Top 7 Outdoor Exercises
Do you remember when our parents used to yell at us to go outside and play? They would get so tired of us running around the house munching junk food and fighting with our siblings that they would practically kick us out of the house!
Well, we...
The Perfect Body building Exercise
So what is the perfect bodybuilding exercise or workout routine? READ ON.
Most people, when they plan out a workout routine, don’t take into consideration the implication of each exercise on other areas of the body. Almost every individual...
Underwater treadmill exercise to strengthen muscles, hip-abduction strength and gait strength.
Underwater treadmill is a treadmill which is submerged in water and provides exercise to people who have undergone total hip replacement. Underwater treadmill is a key component in rehabilitation centers to increase muscle strength and motion of...
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Exercise & Motivation, Part 2: Overcoming Inertia & Getting Started
Copyright 2005 Tanja Gardner
In the first article in this series (http://tinyurl.com/8ztbo), we gave you an overview of the stages of change in Prochaska’s Transtheoretical model. The first three of these stages are all about getting started. They apply to anyone who’s not actually regularly exercising at the moment. If you were active in the past, but don’t now (i.e. you’re in the “Relapse” stage), then, motivationally speaking, you’re in one of these stages. Just as a reminder,
the stages are:
- Pre-Contemplation: When you’re not active, not thinking about it, and really don’t see why you should be;
- Contemplation: When you’re thinking about getting active, but not quite ready to get around to it yet; and
- Preparation: You’ve thought, you’ve decided, and you’re making arrangements as you read this – you’re just about to start, honestly!
PRE-CONTEMPLATION
If you’re at the Pre-Contemplation stage, you don’t really want to change. Others might have said you should, or you may have read something about why activity’s supposed to be good for you, but deep down, you’re not convinced. As far as you’re concerned, there’s nothing wrong with your life exactly as is.
If this sounds like you, I invite you to take a candid look at your life. Are you truly happy with how things are? Look back over where you are now compared to where you were ten years ago. If the same trend continued for another ten years, would you honestly be happy with where you’d end up?
If so, congratulations! You’re the only person who knows what’s right for you, and no-one, including me, can tell you how you should feel about it. If there’s nothing you’d like to change about your exercise habits, you probably don’t need to be reading this article. If you find, however, that there are things about your life that could be better, let yourself think about them. What’s not exactly the way you want it?
What would your life look like if it *was* the way you wanted it? What would you feel like? You don’t have to do anything right now to change – just let yourself think about what could be better.
CONTEMPLATION
If you’re at this stage, you know you want to make a change, and you’re thinking about what your life might be like if you make it. You’re not quite ready yet though, and that’s OK. Instead of beating yourself up for not having started yet, take a deep breath and give yourself a chance to really explore why you want to get more active.
What exactly do you want? To become healthier? Stronger? To slim down or tone up? Why do you want it? What difference will it make in your life? These are questions that will help to make it easier to stay motivated in future.
Think about how you could turn what you want into a specific, measurable goal. Ensure sure that
goal is big enough to inspire you, but realistic enough that you don’t believe it’s doomed to failure from the beginning. If you have a *really* big goal (for example, to lose a large amount of weight, or to compete in a sporting event), think about breaking it down into a series of smaller goals.
Consider starting a fitness journal to answer these questions (if you already keep a journal, just write them in there). Once you’re sure you’re crystal clear on why you want to exercise, you’ll find yourself moving naturally into the next stage – your ‘why’ will drive you to thinking about the ‘how’
PREPARATION
At this stage, you’ve decided that the need for change is stronger than the need to stay the same, and you’ve started thinking about how to make it happen. You might contact a gym, call a personal trainer, or just decide to go for a regular walk.
If you’re here now, it’s time to start exploring how you’re going to make your goal happen. There are many ways to be active, and it’s important to find what’s right for you. The quickest way to kill your motivation is to just throw yourself into the first exercise programme you come across and expect willpower to keep you going. Willpower may be a factor, but
your programme also needs to be enjoyable, convenient, and work for your budget. Some possibilities you may want to consider include:
- Gym classes
- Dance
- Martial arts
- Mind/body activities like yoga or t’ai ch’i
- Walking/hiking/running
- Cycling
- Swimming
- Weights training
Record your research and thoughts in your fitness journal. If you can’t find anything that sounds like it will be convenient, enjoyable and affordable, think about consulting a fitness professional. Chances are, if you understand where you want to be and why, as you start investigating how you can create routines that will get you there *and* let you enjoy yourself when you do, you’ll find yourself itching to get started.
Which is when you move into the next stage - Action.
About the author:
Optimum Life's Tanja Gardner is a Personal Trainer and Stress Management Coach whose articles on holistic health and relaxation have appeared in various media since 1999.
To read more articles like this one, please subscribe to Optimum Fitness News at http://optimumlife.co.nz/Newsletter%20Signup.htm. To find out more about how you could benefit from online personal training, please visit http://www.trainerforce.com/optimumlife/.
To find out more about holistic fitness and stress management please contact Tanja on tanja@optimumlife.co.nz
|
|
|
|
|
| Exercise at About.com |
| Offers fitness and exercise related links, articles, information, and discussions. |
| exercise.about.com |
|
| American Council On Exercise |
| Fitness Certification and Education: The American Council on Exercise (ACE), a non-profit organization, promotes active lifestyles by setting certification ... |
| www.acefitness.org |
|
| Physical exercise - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia |
| Physical exercise is the performance of some activity in order to develop or ... Frequent and regular physical exercise is an important component in the ... |
| en.wikipedia.org |
|
| Why Exercise Is Cool |
| Tells why exercise is important and explores the many benefits of physical activity. |
| www.kidshealth.org |
|
| Kids and Exercise |
| When most adults think about exercise, they imagine working out in the gym on a treadmill or lifting weights. But for children, exercise means playing and ... |
| www.kidshealth.org |
|
| Fitness Fundamentals |
| It is influenced by age, sex, heredity, personal habits, exercise and eating practices. ... How often, how long and how hard you exercise, and what kinds of ... |
| www.hoptechno.com |
|
| MedlinePlus: Exercise and Physical Fitness |
| National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases The primary NIH organization for research on Exercise and Physical Fitness is the ... |
| www.nlm.nih.gov |
|
| MedlinePlus: Exercise for Seniors |
| Pictures/Diagrams; Slide Show: Balance Exercises Improve Stability, Help Prevent Falls (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) ... |
| www.nlm.nih.gov |
|
| Exercise: A Healthy Habit to Start and Keep -- familydoctor.org |
| Information about exercise from the American Academy of Family Physicians. |
| familydoctor.org |
|
| Welcome to ::-:: Exercise, Fitness and Leisure |
| Information on various aspects of exercise and fitness and providers of sporting, exercise and leisure equipment. |
| www.exercise.co.uk |
|
| ExRx (Exercise Prescription) on the Net |
| Fitness and exercise information including diet, nutrition, exercise, sports and weight training. Includes a muscle directory. |
| www.exrx.net |
|
| Weight Training, Exercise Instruction & Kinesiology |
| Weight training and kinesiology reference with many animated weight training exercises, stretches, plyometric movements, and illustrated muscles. |
| www.exrx.net |
|
| Exercise & Fitness |
| Swimming, cycling, jogging, skiing, aerobic dancing, walking or any of dozens of other activities can help your heart. Whether it is a structured exercise ... |
| www.americanheart.org |
|
| Howstuffworks "How Exercise Works" |
| Exercise creates a set of responses in your body, whether you work out regularly or not. Find out how these responses can be enhanced by training. |
| www.howstuffworks.com |
|
| Exercise and Diabetes - American Diabetes Association |
| The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. Exercise works the same way. Taking that first step can be hard, especially if you've been ... |
| www.diabetes.org |
|
| NIHSeniorHealth: Exercise for Older Adults - Table of contents |
| See the Exercise Stories. Exercise for Older Adults Table of Contents. Benefits of Exercise · Safety First · Exercises to Try · Charting Progress ... |
| nihseniorhealth.gov |
|
| Exercise to Improve Your Body and Your Brain |
| My comprehensive exercise guide. ... The key to obtaining the benefits of exercise is to find a program and stick to it. Of course, it is useful to have a ... |
| www.mercola.com |
|
| FitnessOnline.com - Exercise Health Nutrition Advice Weight Loss |
| FitnessOnline.com - expert advice on exercise programs, diets, weight loss, muscle gain, vitamins, supplements & strength training. |
| www.fitnessonline.com |
|
| Table of Contents |
| Exercise: A Guide from the National Institute on Aging ... Chapter 2: Is It Safe for Me to Exercise? ... Chapter 4: Examples of Exercises to Do at Home ... |
| weboflife.nasa.gov |
|
| Exercise Physiology Page for the MAPP |
| Aging, Exercise and Short Term Power · Principles of Training- Revisited · The Time Course of Training Adaptations · Understanding Interval Training ... |
| home.hia.no |
|
|