Six Tips to Start Exercising

BODY

Dec 12

Exercise helps our physical bodies and our mental health.

We all know this. This has been researched and proven.

Here is a rundown of some of the proven physical and mental benefits of exercise:

Physical Health Benefits:

Reduces Obesity
Reduces Arthritis
Lower risk of heart disease
Lowers blood pressure
Lowers cholesterol
Lowers your chances of diabetes
Helps maintain healthy weight
Boosts immune system
Encourages good gut bacteria
Helps prevent the leading causes of mortality + morbidity

Mental Health Benefits:

Reduced stress levels
Lowered depression symptoms
Decreased anxiety symptoms
Improved self esteem
Improved sleep
Improved mood
Increased energy levels
Increased confidence
Increased wellbeing
Boosts brain power and cognitive functioning

If this is such common knowledge, why do we struggle with doing something that could impact our lives in such a positive way? Something that could prolong our lives, reduce our chances of major illness, keep us active into our retirement years and help us live happy, less stressful lives. There are also boosts in immune function, increased bone density, lowered risk of major disease and chronic ailments.

The list is so very long… so why is our attention to this so very short?

To answer this is to dive deep into the human psyche. Are we lazy? Unmotivated? Confused on what to do? Well… I think the answer is complicated, but I think there are some basic common struggles.

Below are my six tips on the common reasons we don’t and some hacks to get us moving!

Six Tips to Start Exercising:

Identify what you enjoy doing!
Love running? Lace up and get moving. Does going for a walk sound more like your jam. Great. How about dancing? Fabulous, put on some music and shake your booty. Biking anyone? How about weight lifting to sculpt and tone?
Set reasonable goals.
Losing a pound a week is reasonable. Losing ten pounds a week, not so much! Starting out walking or running for 30 minutes is reasonable. Running 10 miles if you are starting out… NOPE!
Make it non-negotiable – it’s not a chore!
This is my favorite hack. If we thought of exercise as we thought of brushing our teeth, we would not struggle every day to determine if we had enough energy to go for a walk, or if the weather was nice or if we decided sleep was more important than exercise. We would just do it. Do not have the daily back and forth. Commit to exercise daily. Pick a time every day that will work for you and then just go. When you start to feel better by moving your body regularly, it will begin to feel like a gift!
Figure out the barriers.
Do you need to figure out childcare? Do you need to get up earlier to have enough time? Do you need to pack a snack so you can go right after work without wanting to chew your arm off! Discover the obstacles that might deter you and find a solution before.
Prepare for setbacks and obstacles.
Sometimes things throw us off schedule. Sometimes in life we must punt. That’s ok. Being flexible is a sign of a healthy individual. When you are sick, take time to rest. When you are injured, take time to heal. If things come between you and your commitment to exercise, then roll with it temporarily without judgement and find a way to get back on track.
Find your tribe.
Exercising with a group of people is a great way to stay motivated and have built in accountability to stay consistent. It also is a wonderful way to connect with others and deepen friendships! I have a running group I have run with for over 10 years. It is a gift to myself and adds another layer to stay committed to exercise.