It’s the start of a new year and most of us make new year’s resolutions to get fit, but how many of us will stick to them?
If you’re new to exercise, then the key is to start small.
Just 5 minutes of exercise or less per day has the advantage of bypassing your brains flight or fight response.
This way, instead of mindlessly starting with an exercise programme, you focus on building the habit first, and then once you start exercising a little bit every day you are ready to expand how much exercise you do.
If you have to force yourself to do it, there is a 90% chance that you’re doing it wrong and you’ll never stick to it.
Some people are motivated by challenges, but others hate it. If you are one of those who hate it, stop pushing yourself, because the you’ll hate it and the you’re likely to stop doing it.
Instead, change the way you approach exercise. Instead of starting with what you think you ‘should do’, start with what ‘feels good’.
Motivation is the answer to sticking to exercise. You need to work out the reason why you need to do exercise – only then will you be able to figure out a way to remove the obstacle that is in your way.
Many people just care about their weight and nothing else.
Here is a short list of the benefits of exercise:
- Decreases the risk of various diseases and bad health conditions
- Increases longevity – Just 15 minutes of daily exercise prolongs life by 3 years
- Improves mood – It stimulates various brain chemicals that may leave you feeling happier and more relaxed
- Increases energy levels
- Improves sleep
- Improves sex life
- Helps you better control your weight
You may find exercise boring. However, you don’t have to go to a fitness class, or the gym for an hour. You just have to move your body for 5-10 minutes. Start small and build it up.
Put your favourite music on when you’re doing the housework, or out walking and get moving!
If you think you’re too busy to exercise, fit it into your daily routine. Get up a few minutes earlier and do a routine at home, go for a walk, or jog.
Walk the kids to school, get off the bus a stop earlier and walk, get out for a walk at lunch time and pick up the pace, walk to the school, or part of the way, use the stairs.
We can all come up with excuses, but if you want to change you have to change. Start now!
