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Get Motivated To Exercise
You can start with just 10 minutes. But perhaps the real problem is not time, but motivation. Perhaps you’re not motivated because you haven’t found any activities you really like.
Psychologists Say There Are Two Kinds Of Motivation
Internal motivation means the personal pleasure you get from an activity.
External motivation means you have a desire to get in shape for an event, or you’re in the mood for self-improvement.
The second might be a wedding, or a reunion, and chances are, when it’s over, your motivation will be over too.
The first one, on the other hand, leads to real change, so overcome inertia and find something, find anything that gets
Your Pro-Active Exercise Plan
On a piece of paper or on your smartphone write down a plan that includes small goals at first and bigger goals as you progress. For instance:
- Take a 10-minute walk every day for a week.
- Add to your daily exercise on a weekly basis. If you did a 10-minute walk every day last week, take 15-minute walks this week. Next week, add two 10-minute dance sessions, and so on.
- Use an app if you have a smart phone. Look for an app that includes tips and techniques for making changes in behavior as well as providing instruction on how to perform exercises.
- Try new activities to stay excited about exercise. Once you’ve worked up to getting 150 minutes of moderate activity each week, plus resistance training, stretching and balance exercises, try something else. Identify the benefits of exercise that will positively impact your personal health, like reducing your diabetes risk or lowering blood pressure.
How Much Exercise You Really Need
Even Brief Bouts Of Activity Offer Benefits
For instance, if you can’t fit in one 30-minute walk, try three 10-minute walks. What’s most important is getting your heart rate up, and making physical activity a regular part of your lifestyle.
As a general goal, aim for at least 30 minutes of physical activity a day. If you want to lose weight or meet specific fitness goals, you may need to exercise more. Want to aim even higher? You can achieve more health benefits, including increased weight loss, if you ramp up your exercise to 300 minutes a week.
What To Do Before You Begin To Exercise
Moderate activity is safe for most people, but it makes sense to talk to your health professional before you get started, especially if you have a chronic health condition such as heart disease, arthritis or diabetes.
Discuss which types and amounts of physical activity are best suited to your health needs. For instance, if you already have osteoporosis (thinning, fragile bones), you might need to avoid high-impact aerobics, like running, and activities with a high risk of falling.
If you are recovering from an illness, your physical therapist will be able to give you valuable advice, not only about the kind of exercise to do, but about different ways to adapt equipment, and strategies for, say, getting up off the floor.
Choosing The Best Exercises
Each Type Of Exercise
Below Serves A Different Purpose
Aerobic Exercise
Also called “cardio” because it works (and benefits) your cardiovascular system, boosting heart health.
Examples of increasing amounts of aerobic exercises:
- Brisk walking at about 3 mph
- Water aerobics
- Cycling under 10 mph
- Doubles tennis
- Dancing
- Light gardening
How Exercise Impacts Your Health
Exercise Has Undeniable Benefits For You
But there are other factors that need to be taken into consideration too.
Your family history plays a part in your health, as well as practicing healthy habits like eating healthy, losing weight, drinking less and not smoking.
A regular program of aerobic and resistance training—two of the three most important forms of exercise—helps improve the control of blood sugar, which can prevent diabetes. It also helps those who already have diabetes.
A study by the American Diabetes Association found that maintaining weight, or gaining no more than 5 percent over a three year period, was tremendously beneficial to a Type 2 diabetic patient’s overall health.
You’re Never Too Old To Start Exercising
A 2014 study of people born in the 1950s by the British Journal of Sports Medicine reported that people who had been active throughout their lives enjoyed great health benefits in their 60s.
But it also said, “Significant health benefits were even seen among participants who became physically active relatively late in life.” Doing everyday activities counts, from gardening and washing your car to walking or dancing, according to researchers from University College London.
An earlier Swedish study that followed more than 2,000 men for 35 years found that those who stepped up the pace of exercise after age 50 were far more likely to live longer and live better than those who stayed sedentary.
Older adults may be concerned about hurting themselves or worsening an existing condition. But research has found that exercise can keep you independent longer and reduce disability by maintaining muscle mass and strength.
Source: Huffington Post, PubMed.gov, The Mayo Clinic, MedlinePlus, Harvard/HelpGuide.org, CDC, NewYorkTimes, University College of London and Cleveland Clinic
Frequently Asked Questions
Exercise helps ward off many serious and common chronic health problems. Click questions below for more answers.
There is internal motivation and there is external motivation. Only one will help you make time to exercise. Read more
Yes, a good one. Check out this page. Read more
Findings are always changing, so it’s up to you to decide. Even baby steps can lead to big benefits. Read more
Decide that “getting your move on” is something you really want to do. Then take these steps to become empowered. Read more
Here are 4 great choices. You just need to choose one to begin. Read more
Losing a modest amount of weight can lower the chance of being diagnosed with a chronic disease, and you’ll have more stamina. Read more
A British study says you’re never too old to improve your health at any age. Read more
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