Physical activity is an excellent way to reduce risk for heart disease, cancer and other chronic diseases. Any moderate intensity activity – from walking and ballroom dancing lessons to gardening tasks and even muscle-strengthening workouts such as lifting weights or playing tennis counts. Make an effort to become physically active on most, if not all, days of the week. Use these strategies for overcoming common exercise roadblocks:
1. Make it a Habit
Most people have hectic lives and don’t have much time for physical activity. By creating a daily exercise habit, however, making time to move becomes easier – just 30 minutes of physical activity could do wonders! Plan to exercise at a set time each day, such as first thing in the morning or during your lunch break. Maintaining a fitness log or app may increase commitment to your new routine and motivate you to continue it.
Engaging friends and family as partners in exercise is a proven way to stay on track with exercise habits. Just having someone join you at the gym for daily walks or runs increases the odds that you show up!
2. Get Moving
Even something as simple as walking quickly, swimming, tennis or cleaning the house can keep your body moving. Don’t push yourself until your muscles ache with sweat! Just move. Discover an activity you enjoy that fits with your schedule. Taking water aerobics classes, dance or yoga sessions or playing pickup basketball weekly might work.
Try pairing an activity with something you do regularly like lunch to create an anchor that reminds you to exercise. Over time, this will become second nature and more likely to take place. Shoot for 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity per week along with 75 minutes of muscle-strengthening activities.
3. Make it Fun
Many people struggle to meet exercise recommendations because they do not enjoy working out. For some, this may have its roots in unpleasant experiences like being picked last for softball or feeling humiliated when working out at the gym. But fitness doesn’t need to be difficult or tedious – finding something you enjoy doing should be your top priority, not forcing yourself into something you hate doing.
Attracting more joy into movement requires exploring new activities, perfecting form, or finding ways to make existing exercises enjoyable. Engaging friends or creating social media challenges to add competition that can be fun and motivating.
4. Make it a Challenge
If you’re trying to incorporate exercise into your day, making it challenging can help motivate and push you beyond the boundaries of comfort zone. Mix up your workout regimen to avoid boredom. Try walking a different route every day or switch it up with some bodyweight strength training on one day and moderate-pace jogging on another.
Consider recruiting the help of friends and family as well. Simply having someone around to encourage and cheer you on can be an enormous boost in motivation!
5. Make it a Reward
Reward systems should encourage you to take the daily steps needed to reach your larger health goals, even when they feel daunting or tiring. They should motivate you to lace up those sneakers and hit the pavement despite feelings of resistance or discomfort.
Reward must be closely tied to your target behavior, such as something only available if you engage in it. For instance, this might mean only turning on your favorite TV show while going for a run or buying yourself a smoothie after exercising; this technique is known as temptation bundling. 1
6. Make it a Social Event
Physical activity is more enjoyable and motivating when done in a group setting, whether that means playing tennis with friends or attending aerobics class together. Exercising together increases motivation and accountability. Rejoining friends for an active activity is also an ideal way to socialize and strengthen bonds with them, while the positive reinforcement and camaraderie that comes with being physically active can boost self-esteem and confidence.
Try encouraging coworkers to incorporate physical activity into work events by providing physical activity breaks, fitness challenges or hosting walking breaks during meetings and conferences. Check out Move More North Carolina: A Guide for Incorporating Physical Activity into Meetings, Conferences and Events for additional ideas.
7. Make it a Priority
Exercise is vital to leading a healthy life; but finding time and space to incorporate physical activity can be challenging. Finding ways to fit physical activity into daily and weekly schedules isn’t always straightforward, however.
One way to overcome this challenge is by making exercise a top priority. Scheduling workouts alongside important meetings and commitments increases your likelihood of sticking with them; try making time for exercise first thing in the morning or during lunch breaks so as to prevent unexpected events from derailing your plan.
8. Make it a Routine
Starting and sticking to an exercise regimen are both fantastic for health and well-being; however, starting can be challenging. Consider starting small and working up gradually towards 150 minutes per week of aerobic and strengthening activities for healthy adults.
Unenlist the assistance of family and friends in reaching your exercise goals. They can support you by reminding you of its many advantages as well as offering to workout alongside you, both physically and digitally. Cross-training can help keep workouts exciting while preventing injuries by not overexerting one muscle or joint too often.
9. Make it a Habit
Engaging in regular physical activity may seem impossible at times; between work, school, family responsibilities and household duties, finding time for exercise can be hard. But staying physically active doesn’t need to be impossible! Change can be daunting, but with small steps it can become manageable. Try setting yourself an exercise goal of two minutes instead.
Select activities that fit your interests and abilities. Consider joining a recreational sports team or group dance class, inviting friends to join your daily walk, setting a specific plan or schedule, using technology such as fitness trackers to keep on task – these may all help!
