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A Visualization Exercise on Managing Expectations for Adults with ADD
As adults with Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD), we often find ourselves excited by new ideas and plans, but overwhelmed by what it will take to reach the goals.
Many of my coaching clients find themselves in this situation. They make a...
Basic Meditation Exercises
(Authors Note: Before reading this you should see my other articles on Breathing and Full Body Awareness) Now that you’ve begun to develop the ability to move energy around in your body there are some things that you can do with it. The following...
Diabetes and Exercise
There are two main types of diabetes, type I and type II. Type I
diabetes is characterized by the pancreas making too little or
no insulin. An individual with diabetes type I will have to
inject insulin throughout the day in order to control...
Exercise for Diabetics
Exercise for Diabetics
The two most common forms of diabetes are referred to as Type 1
and Type 2. Type 1 diabetes, also known as adolescent diabetes,
differs from Type 2 in that the body stops producing insulin
altogether.
Type 2...
Is A Home Treadmill The Best Exercise Equipment For You?
The #1 fear people have when buying a treadmill is that they won't use it. (That's the #1 fear when buying any piece of exercise equipment).
They know that a treadmill can help them lose weight, get fit, burn extra calories and reach their...
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Getting started with exercise when you really don't want to
Want to get fit but can't quite bring yourself to get moving? That's the situation with many people. We'd all like to be fit but sometimes the very thought of all that effort means we constantly put it off for another day.
And then there are those of us who start off enthusiastically with a new "three times a week at the gym" routine only to throw in the towel after a few weeks. You either injure yourself by going too fast too soon or find it takes up too large a chunk of the little free time you have or it just feels too much like hard work.
For reluctant exercisers the way to get fit without a fuss is by starting slowly and building up to a level you are comfortable with. If you challenge yourself just a little each time you do anything and never go too far beyond your comfort zone you can get a surprisingly long way fast.
This way of working up to exercise may seem a bit feeble to the fitness enthusiasts out there. But you have to remember they are already enjoying the huge benefits of working out. And it works a treat for those of us who have a horror of getting sweaty and uncomfortable and who don't yet have experience of how much better it feels to be fit.
To get going with a routine you can stick to:-
1. Start with something simple
Walking is a great way to ease gently into exercise. You can fit it into your day without getting changed into any special clothes. Put on a comfortable pair of shoes and you're ready. And it's something most people can do. You can take the dog and the kids if you need to. They'll benefit too. Or even just walk around your home if you can't get out.
2. Start with a tiny amount
If lack of time is putting you off, start with just 10 minutes exercise. Everyone can find 10 minutes somewhere in the day. You'll be amazed at how much better you'll feel with just 10 minutes every day if you don't do anything at all at the moment. Even better, find 2 or 3 ten minute periods when you can go for a walk. It's great to fit a walk in at lunchtime and after dinner and maybe you can make it part of your journey to or from work or taking your kids to school. This will meet the guidelines for a healthy lifestyle - but in any case 10 minutes a day is great to get you started. So don't let the guidelines put you off if you can't spare more time.
3. Never go too far too fast
If you're unused to exercise check with your doctor before you begin. Once you get going, build up your strength gradually, gently challenging yourself each day to go a little further, a little faster or a little longer. Straining yourself too much leads to injuries and if it gets to be too much too fast you'll end up giving up.
4. Make it fun
Get some company for your walks or listen to an
MP3 or CD player or a portable radio. Choose a safe place to walk in your neighbourhood and if you can, somewhere with great scenery too. It may be worth driving a little to find a good place to walk.
5. Remind yourself of the benefits
Remind yourself each day, as you think about taking your exercise, how much you are doing for your health and well-being - cutting down your risk of heart attack, stroke and diabetes, burning calories and keeping your weight down, helping to protect against loss of muscle as you age and protecting yourself against osteoporosis too. And then there are the intangible benefits like improving your self-esteem and mood because you're doing something positive for yourself.
6. Be consistent
With a gentle exercise like walking be consistent and keep it up every day. It's too easy to let a day off extend into a week and then it's hard to get going again. If you do end up taking a break just go right back where you were. Don't try and make up for a day off by doubling your efforts the next day. Also if you do a lot on one day and feel the painful effects of some new activity, still try and do your walk the next day, even if you have to go a bit slower than normal. It helps you turn exercise into a habit.
7. Monitor yourself
A pedometer is a great tool for keeping a check on your progress. You can count the paces you take on your regular walk or even the paces you take all day. A pedometer encourages you to build up your level of activity and makes it easy to challenge yourself to build up your fitness bit by bit. If you monitor your whole day's activity, the paces soon add up if you follow those age-old weight loss tips about parking in the furthest space and using the stairs instead of the elevator. They say you should aim for 10,000 steps a day but you can build this up gradually 100 at a time.
8. Choose an alternative
If walking doesn't fill you with enthusiasm why not choose an activity you would like to do - something which doesn't feel like exercise. How about dancing or skating, skiing or horse-riding? Anything which gets you out and about and moving will help improve your fitness - you don't have to be restricted in the activities you choose provided your general health is OK. Think about the things you loved as a child and try taking them up again.
Copyright 2005, Janice Elizabeth Small
About the author:
Janice Elizabeth is a weight loss coach and author of "The Diet Exit Plan". Request her FREE 15 page report "How to lose weight without dieting - 7 secrets the diet industry doesn't want you to know" at http://www.SimplySlimming.comTODAY!
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| Exercise at About.com |
| Offers fitness and exercise related links, articles, information, and discussions. |
| exercise.about.com |
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| 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 |
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| 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 |
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| Why Exercise Is Cool |
| Tells why exercise is important and explores the many benefits of physical activity. |
| www.kidshealth.org |
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| 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 |
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| 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 |
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| 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 |
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| 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 |
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| Exercise: A Healthy Habit to Start and Keep -- familydoctor.org |
| Information about exercise from the American Academy of Family Physicians. |
| familydoctor.org |
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| 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 |
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| 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 |
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| 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 |
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| 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 |
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| 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 |
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| 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 |
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| 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 |
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| 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 |
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| 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 |
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| 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 |
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| 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 |
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