Exercise Information

15 Quick Tips for People Who Dont Like to Exercise


We've all had days when we don't have the energy to tie our athletic shoes, let alone bounce around in them. But exercise can give a daily blast to your mind, body, and soul.

Here are fifteen quick tips to get you moving:

1. Don't get intimidated by the prospect of a daily exercise regimen. You don't have to run a marathon. You need only get your body moving each day. Once you tone your muscles, you'll naturally find yourself wanting to do more challenging workouts.

2. Reframe the way you think about exercise. Begin to think of each workout as a gift you give to yourself instead of just another "should," "ought," or "must."

3. Make sure you enjoy your exercise program. Some people like classes. Some people don't. Choose what's right for you so it becomes something you actually look forward to.

4. Make sure your workout is convenient. Schedule it for a time of day when you typically feel the most energetic. Have your gym bag packed and ready to go by the door or in the car.

5. Make your workout weather-proof. If you run or walk outside, get the right workout gear so weather conditions are never an excuse.

6. Make sure you're doing it right. One reason for wanting to quit exercising is injury or pain. Check with your doctor before you start an exercise program so you know you're safe in the workout you choose. And check in with trainers, too, if you're working on equipment at the gym or trying a new sport.

7. If you're having a low-energy day, tell yourself you have to exercise for only ten minutes. That will get you moving, and once you're in the exercise groove, you'll usually want to finish your workout.

8. Go with friends. Start a group for walking, running, or training. The camaraderie (and peer pressure) can do wonders for your daily motivation.

9. After a really good workout, write a few notes in your journal about how good you feel. Use it as a reference the next time you don't want to begin.

10. Start with small goals. If you want to run for 30 minutes, for example, start by walking fast. When you can do that, make a goal to spend those 30 minutes running for one minute, walking for one minute. When you build on these smaller goals, you'll be running in no time. And you'll give your confidence a boost, too.

11. Recognize that some days it will be easier to exercise, and some days you'll have to struggle through the workout. This has to do with a lot of factors, including mood, hormones, the glass of wine you had last night... Take the pressure off by understanding the fluctations. And exercise anyway.

12. Try behavior modification tapes. Mike Brescia has a good one for exercising here: http://www.momscape.com/thinkrightnow/exercising.htm This audiotape is not self-hypnotizing or subliminal. You'll hear every message, but these messages are subtle and, for many people, effective.

13. Use a visible reward system. The effects of exercise are cumulative and long-term, so sometimes it helps to see your results on a daily basis. After each workout, put a big red star on the calendar as a symbol that you completed the day's workout. Take photos of yourself every month in your workout gear so you have a visual record of your results, too.

14. Get to the bottom of your exercise aversion. For women, if it's the run-of-the-mill gym you can't stand, try a women-oriented fitness center, such as Curves. This is a fast-growing fitness phenomenon, and many women feel like their workout becomes a 30-minute vacation--like a girls' night out at the exercise machines.

15. Be gentle with yourself. Take a day off at least once a week. And if you do skip a few workouts, don't beat yourself up, but do get right back in the routine. The fewer consecutive days you skip, the more likely you'll be to make your workout a lasting gift you give to yourself.

About the author:
Susie Cortright is the founder of momscape.com and Momscape's Scrapbooking Playground - devoted to helping visitors record and preserve their cherished memories. Susie also trains and supports new scrapbooking instructors with a new and rapidly- growing direct sales scrapbooking company. Find out how to join her team here: http://www.momscape.com/scrapbooking/business.htm and get a steady stream of new ideas with her scrapbooking club: http://www.momscape.com/scrapbooking/scrapbookclub


MORE RESOURCES:

Research credits healing power of exercise in war against cancer
Chicago Tribune, United States - 23 hours ago
In a few years, exercise will probably be prescribed regularly for cancer rehabilitation, said Melinda Irwin, an expert on cancer and exercise at Yale ...


Citizens exercise caution over July 4 weekend
Pittsburg Morning Sun, KS - 7 hours ago
According to Chris Kelly, with Mt. Carmel Regional Medical Center, the hospital in Pittsburg had just three cases of fireworks-related injuries leading up ...


Los Angeles Times

Outdoor buffs must exercise caution on smoggy days
Los Angeles Times, CA - Jul 4, 2008
Brisk exercise exacerbates the effects (when and how severe those are vary from person to person). Because muscles need more oxygen to work, breathing rates ...


stv.tv

Navy ballistic missile exercise simulates shoot-down
Stars and Stripes, DC - 13 hours ago
By Sandra Jontz, Stars and Stripes The US Navy has completed an unprecedented simulated ballistic missile exercise between ships operating in different ...
Missile-defense exercise held in Middle East NavyTimes.com
all 875 news articles


What is the best exercise for me?
The Times, South Africa - 13 hours ago
If January is the time for making noble vows about taking up regular exercise, February is when reality hits home. That gym membership you forked out for in ...


IAF’s first ever Participation in Exercise ‘Red Flag’
Press Information Bureau (press release), India - 45 minutes ago
The Indian Air Force would be participating in a multinational Air Exercise, ‘Ex - Red Flag 08’ at the invitation of United States Air Force (USAF), ...


Bristol Herald Courier

Games Of Summer: Wii Fit Combining Gaming, Exercise
Bristol Herald Courier, TN - 7 hours ago
Wii Fit uses a weight-sensing Balance Board to bridge the gap between gaming and physical exercise. By Stephen Woodward Video games and fitness – not two ...


Preparing For All Scenarios - Major IDF Exercise Conducted In The ...
Infolive.tv, Israel - 3 hours ago
In an ongoing effort to bring IDF troops back to peak performance following the botched Second Lebanon war, troops undergo frequent exercises in northern ...


G4S takes part in team-building exercise
Barbados Advocate, Barbados - 8 hours ago
By Patricia Thangaraj In order to build self-confidence, encourage team work and motivate employees, G4S Security Services held a developmental exercise ...


JAMES EVANS: Celebrate religious freedom
Montgomery Advertiser, AL - 2 hours ago
But the genius of the Amendment is that while simultaneously protecting us from religion, it also protects the free exercise of faith. ...

Exercise - Google News

home | site map
© 2006