Category: Exercise

How To Beat The Obstacles That Keep You From Exercising

Whether you have been exercising for a long time or you’re just getting started, obstacles (aka life’s circumstances) can cause you to fall off track from your exercise routine. This is normal and it doesn’t have to sabotage your efforts.

When life throws you a curve ball don’t beat yourself up. Guilt can cause you to become depressed which will make it harder to start back up again. Instead, take a look at the circumstances and identify the reason you haven’t been exercising.

Common obstacles that sabotage exercise and how you can overcome them:

1)  It’s painful.  It’s really difficult to stay motivated to exercise if you are experiencing pain.  Make an appointment to see a doctor to address the issue. Once diagnosed, you can take the necessary steps to eliminate the pain and start exercising again.

2) You’re burning the candle at both ends. Today’s fast paced lifestyle can contribute to a very full calendar. This pace can result in leaving you little, and at times no time to exercise. If that’s you, read I Agree You Are Too Busy To Exercise for tips on how to overcome this challenge.

3) You don’t like it. Is the only thing on your mind, “I can’t wait for this to be over”? If so, you probably don’t like the exercise you’ve chosen. Make a list of the physical activities you enjoy and decide which ones you want to pursue.

For example, you may not like hiking but you really like line dancing. Go for the one that you know you can stick to, not what the current exercise fads are telling you is best for you.

4) You’re exercising to please others. This is a biggie! Often times well meaning family and friends will convince you to engage in an exercise program because they care about your health or want your company.

If you are only doing it to please others, you risk resenting the exercise — and it could potentially strain your relationship. Make sure the exercise routine you choose is the right one for you. Here are tips on how to pick exercise YOU like.

5)  It’s a new season in your life or a schedule change. We all have seasons in our life that can affect our routine. Things like a new job, business, baby, move, or injury can require you to readjust your current exercise plan.

When you are going through a new season in your life that affects your schedule, it is necessary to look at your exercise plan and determine what adjustments will need to be made to maintain your fitness levels while you adapt to your new schedule.

Goals of advancement in fitness may need to be put temporarily on hold to avoid frustration and disappointment. The most important thing is that you maintain what you have already achieved!

I’ve been a personal trainer for over 22 years and I’ve listed the most common obstacles and the solutions for you. If you are experiencing an obstacle that I haven’t covered please feel free to ask me about it by leaving a comment below. If you have a tip you’d like to share on how you have overcome an obstacle that was holding you back from exercise, please share. I’d love to hear what you did!

To your health!

Jennifer

 

 

 

 

How To Motivate Yourself To Exercise

Struggling with lack of motivation for exercise?  If you are, you’re normal! Believe it or not, it’s simple to overcome. The trick is doing a quick evaluation to figure out what motivates you.

This simple formula will motivate you to exercise for life!

Your first step is to take inventory. What are the top 2 reasons you want to exercise?  There is no right or wrong answer. We are all motivated a little differently. For example, not everyone is motivated by health.

 

That doesn’t mean you don’t want to be healthy.  It just means you may be motivated by a different “why,” like staying healthy to support your family; or being able to live independently when you are in your golden years.

It’s critical that you discover what you value most in your life.  Once you determine why you want to remain healthy and strong, it is going to be much easier to motivate yourself on those days you just don’t feel like it.

Below is a list of the top reasons people are motivated to exercise.  These examples are based on my own experience as a personal trainer for over 22 years.

Take a few minutes to look at this list.  Use it to help you discover what your own personal reason for exercise is. You may come up with an answer that’s not even on this list.

Write down reasons from the list that resonate with you and any others you come up with on a sheet of paper.  Remember, there is no right or wrong answer.  It is what is!

Top motivators to exercise

 

1)   Maintain or improve your Health

2)   Increase life expectancy

3)   Lose weight

4)   Improve functional fitness

5)   Stay healthy for your family

6)   Travel with ease

7)   Improve appearance

8)   Have more energy

9)   Sleep better

10) Recreation/Fun

11)  Social activities/Meet people

12)  Remain independent and self sufficient

13)  Walking your dog or taking care of a pet

After going through this short exercise, you may be surprised with what you come up with. You may find you have been trying to motivate yourself with all the wrong reasons. Or, you discovered that it is worth it to you to stick to your exercise routine and you are motivated again!

If you discovered you have been trying to dangle the wrong carrot in front of yourself, that’s great news! You now have a brand new list with the top two things that will motivate you to exercise. Anytime you feel like “blowing off” your exercise you just go back to your list and read your reasons out loud to yourself. This will give you the motivation to get moving!

Make sure the exercise you choose serves your purpose.  For example, if your purpose to exercise is to be able to meet people, then I would recommend you look into joining group activities that are at your fitness level and seem fun to you.

The most important thing to remember to be true to yourself and the priorities for your own life. It’s human nature to get unmotivated from time to time. However, when you are clear on your purpose and following the true desires of your own heart, it’s much easier to motivate yourself to just do it. You’ll be able to finally motivate yourself to exercise.

Next week we’ll be talking about the most common obstacles that prevent you from exercising and how to beat them!

I’d love to know what your top motivators are! Please let me know in the comments below. 

To your health and wellness!

Jennifer

Can Sitting Too Much Kill You?

Concerned about how much time you spend sitting down? Good! Research is showing us that too much sitting is hazardous to your health.

A recent report in the Archives of Internal Medicine adds to a series of studies proving the negative effects of sitting for too long.

Researchers found that individuals who sit for more than 11 hours a day are 40 percent more likely to die in the next three years than those who are more active. Experts also said sitting between eight and 11 hours daily raises the early death risk by 15 percent.

“The evidence on the detrimental health effects of prolonged sitting has been building over the last few years,” said study author Hidde van der Ploeg, a senior research fellow at the University of Sydney.

And to top it off, extended periods of sitting are not just limited to the workplace. Researchers found that the average adult spends about 90 percent of leisure time sitting down as well.

Most of that time was spent watching television or using a computer.

The good news is this doesn’t have to be you! Now that science is telling us the dangers of sitting too much, you have even more incentive to stay active.

Five Ways to Avoid Sitting Too Much

1)  Get up every hour.  If you have a job that requires you to sit a lot, make it a goal to stand up and move around every hour.  Set a timer if you need a reminder.  Use the short break to hydrate and stretch.

2)  Stand while you work. Try a standing station and alternate between sitting and standing while working. Another option is to stand during conference calls. This is a great time to pace if it won’t distract you on your call.

3)  Take short walks. Walk whenever possible. Incorporate walking into your every day activities. Whether it’s taking the stairs, walking to lunch, or parking at the back of the lot, look for ways to incorporate movement into your daily activities. Use as many opportunities as you can to get exercise. It may take a few extra minutes, but the results could be priceless!

4)  Cook! Cooking means standing and moving around the kitchen. You don’t have to become a gourmet chef. Try some easy 20 minute recipes. Turn on some music and dance around the kitchen!

5)  Turn off the screen. Trade TV and computer time for exercise. Pick a form of exercise you are likely to stick to and avoid sitting in front of electronic devices. If there is something you really want to watch or some work you need to do, set a timer and limit yourself to an hour. Then go do something that requires standing or moving, like a hobby. It’s also a good way to get that to do list checked off!

Plan recreation for the weekend that is not in front of a screen. Walking your dog, going to the park, playing outside as a family, hiking, biking, and water sports are all great examples of things you can do on the weekend to avoid sitting for too long.

In today’s age of modern convenience and technology, you have to be intentional about moving. It is so easy to sit for hours and not even realize it. The need to exercise “on purpose” is pretty recent and doesn’t necessarily come naturally to us. Leave yourself reminders and notes until it becomes second nature to move more and sit less.

Do you have a clever way to fit exercise into your day? Please leave a comment below! I would love to hear from you!

Blessings!

Jennifer