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Benefits
of exercising(6)
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Maintaining a Fitness Program/
Staying Motivated/ Problem Solving
Everyone begins a fitness program for different reasons. Some
people are interested in weight loss, others are exercising to
maintain their health, and others are trying to get healthy. No
matter what your reason for starting a fitness program, you will
inevitably come to a point where your motivation and desire to
continue your program will weaken. This is a normal situation.
You are not the only person experiencing this difficulty. Even
the most highly motivated people encounter this situation.
When you begin your fitness program you will probably be very
motivated and excited about your new plan of action. In the
initial stages motivation is not a problem. After a couple of
months, or even shorter for some people, you may find yourself
missing or skipping your exercises for various reasons. Lack of
time may be a factor, boredom may ensue, you may get injured or
you may be frustrated by a lack of results you had hoped to
achieve. First of all, realize it is okay to take some time off.
Sometimes some time off will make you more excited and motivated
to begin training again. You do not need to exercise 7 days a
week. However, extended breaks or a lack of regular exercise
will be detrimental to your goals of improving your health. The
beneficial changes occurring in your body will not continue or
will reverse (as is the case with muscular development for
example) if you stop exercising for extended periods of time.
The first step to take in staying motivated is to remember
the reasons why you started the program. If you have forgotten,
take a look on the pages Why Should I Exercise/Benefits of
Exercise and How to Get Started/Designing a Program. This should
remind you about the importance of exercise.
If time is a problem, remember that you do not need to
exercise 2 hours a day to achieve substantial health benefits.
For aerobic activity, work out for 10 or 15 minute blocks at a
time. If you have a coffee break, go walk for 10 minutes, and
find 2 other times during the day where you have a break or are
free for 10 minutes or longer. For resistance training, doing 1
set of 8 to 12 exercises does not need to take more than 35 to
40 minutes. This includes stretching as well. This is the beauty
of doing 1 set of higher intensity weight lifting. For most
people, a lack of time to exercise is just a problem of
perception. Everyone has a little time, but they feel rushed and
stressed. Even though they may have the time, they perceive they
don’t. Get up a little earlier or exercise after work to fit
your workout into your schedule. Use your time efficiently.
Exercise at a time when your facility is not crowded so you can
avoid dealing with crowds.
If you find yourself becoming bored with your routine, all
you need to do is change it. This is not hard to do. Do
different aerobic activities, work out at different intensities,
and use different machines for your resistance training.
Cross-training is a concept in which you do different activities
each time you work out. Some days you walk, other days you jog,
or stair climb or ride the bike. This is a great way to avoid
boredom, by constantly mixing up your workout. Another great
solution to prevent boredom is to have a workout partner. This
is someone you exercise with either all of the time, or
sometimes-whenever it is convenient for both of you. Use each
other to motivate yourselves to work out. Realize that when you
miss a workout, the other person will be alone. It is okay to
put a little pressure on yourself. Use whatever solution will
keep you motivated to continue exercising.
If you get injured, you need to see a doctor and determine
the cause and exact injury. However, even if you get injured,
you will still be able to do some form of exercising while the
injury is recovering. If you hurt your shoulder for example, you
can still lift weights with you legs and do aerobic activities
that do not require you to use the injured area. There is always
a way to work around any injuries. I have had many injuries
throughout my life and I have always found a way to continue
doing something. Remember, any activity is better than nothing.
If you are trying to lose weight and you get injured and cannot
exercise as much as you would prefer, you may need to focus more
on your diet to maintain your motivation.
If you become frustrated by a lack of results from your
fitness program you may lose your desire to continue and give
up. Unfortunately this problem is very common. Many people begin
fitness programs with unrealistic goals or are not aware of the
time course for changes that will occur in their bodies. Most
people expect quick results and this is why products that offer
quick results are so popular. Understanding how your body
changes and the time course for these changes is important to
prevent you from getting frustrated.
Your body will need time to adjust to the new demands you are
placing on it. Most researchers believe that the first 4 weeks
or longer of resistance trainer is mostly neuromuscular
development, meaning your body is learning how to use your
muscles and recruit more fibers to increase strength. Do not be
alarmed if you do not see your muscles getting bigger right
away. Everyone responds differently to training. Some people
will increase the size of their muscles, while others will see
an increase in strength, without a corresponding increase in the
size of their muscles.
Weight loss takes some time. Do not expect to lose 15 pounds
a week. A loss of 1-2 pounds a week is reasonable. Losing too
much weight too quickly not only increases the chances it will
be gained later, but it is harmful for your body as well.
Remember that muscle weighs more than fat. So while you may be
losing fat weight, you may be gaining muscle weight (fat-free
mass). This is okay. Muscle is more metabolically active than
fat. This means that muscle is constantly burning calories, even
when you are not working out. Having more muscle will help with
weight control in the future. Some people have to work harder
than others to lose weight. Your body will take some time to
change your metabolic rate, which is the number of calories you
burn during a day.
Cardiovascular risk factors, such as blood pressure and
cholesterol take a long time to improve as well. Several months
may be required to improve these measures. Improving your bone
density takes at least 6 months. This is why it is so important
to maintain a fitness program for the rest of your life. That is
the only way to take full advantage of the benefits of
exercise.
You should measure your success by more relative results. Do
you feel better about yourself since you started exercising? Do
you feel stronger and have more energy? Do your clothes fit you
better? These are simple ways to help you gauge the success of
your fitness program.
As you are attempting to change your lifestyle to improve
your health, you will inevitably have some problems staying
motivated or committed to your fitness program. There are tools
you can use to find solutions for your problems. Below is a 4
step plan called IDEA, which is a problem solving method. Use
this method to help you when you are having problems staying
motivated or committed to your program.
Step 1: I. Identify and define the problem specifically. What
is causing the problem?
Step 2: D. Develop a list of solutions by brainstorming. Do not
judge or criticize your possible solutions as silly or
unacceptable.
Step 3: E. Evaluate each possible solution. Consider the "pros,"
"cons," and how feasible each possible solution is. Choose your
course of action
Step 4: A. Action plan. Try out your action plan for a week or
two. If it works, congratulate yourself on successfully solving
the problem. If not, go back to step 1-have you defined the
problem correctly? Have you brain-stormed all possible ideas?
Are there any other possible solutions you can try out?
One other great method to improve your chances for
successfully maintaining your fitness program and changing your
life is to receive social support. Social support is an
important ingredient in any behavioral change process. You are
more likely to be successful in your attempt to change your
lifestyle if you have support. Support can come from, family,
friends, co-workers, or anyone who can be positive, optimistic
and helpful for you. Social support can occur in many forms.
Support may be as simple as an encouraging word or might involve
specific rewards, such as exercising with you. Some support is
likely to occur naturally as those people around you become
aware of your attempt to improve your health. If you need
additional support, do not hesitate to kindly ask the
appropriate people.
While problems may occur and you may sometimes lose your
motivation to continue maintaining your fitness program, you
should have the confidence that you are taking the right steps
to improve your health. Armed with knowledge and the tools to
problem solve, you will be able to overcome any obstacle and
make health an integral aspect of your life.
Disclaimer: The information provided by this service is
intended to serve as recommendations for people who desire to
learn more about health, fitness, and taking care of their
bodies. Before beginning any exercise program, always consult
your doctor to make sure you are able to begin exercising.
Certain disabilities or conditions may contraindicate some
activities, so be sure to clear yourself with your doctor.
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