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Fitness Articles
How to get off the
couch and get fit when you DON'T like to
exercise!
By Amy Phillips-Gary
We all know the importance of exercise.
The benefits of getting fit to your physical, mental and emotional
health have been documented in study after study.
From your own experience, you probably have felt the difference in how
vital and vibrant you feel when you regularly exercise.
Some people seem to crave physical activity and others just don't.
My mother, for example, absolutely has to engage in some form of
exercise every single day or she feels irritable and sluggish. She does
yoga and aerobics; she swims, walks and bikes frequently.
My teenage son, on the other hand, is averse to anything called
"exercise." He will walk the dog everyday and go for a swim
occasionally. But anything more than that is just not his idea of fun!
My attitude toward exercise falls somewhere in the middle. I walk the
dog, go to the gym and do the Wii Fit regularly. I don't crave the
physical activity, but I also am not opposed to it.
Being fit, healthy and trim are important to me. But there are days
(more than I'd like to admit to) that the prospect of going to the gym
or moving from the comfy couch to do much of anything are the last thing
I want to do!
Try a different approach...
If you find yourself dreading exercise but want to be more fit, shifting
your approach to fitness might be a great way to start.
Yes, you could force yourself up off the couch and out for a run with
internal threats or castigation.
But the point is to feel better isn't it?
Think about how you tend to approach exercise.
Do you perceive yourself as overweight or out of shape and you worry
that you'll develop health problems as a result? Does it seem to
you that exercise is the price you have to pay to "work off" those
cookies you ate?
In the media we are often told how fat and lazy we Americans are.
If a sense of punishment, fearfulness or guilt drive you to exercise,
consider re-thinking your motivations.
Again, this is all about feeling better-- healthier and more vitally
alive. If your approach to fitness is not in alignment with a feeling
better state of being, it might very well be a source of your
resistance.
Would you rather follow a leader who constantly reminds you of your
"weaknesses" and threatens or scares you or one who builds you up and
sees the potential for your future?
You are ultimately your own leader in life. Change how you approach and
motivate yourself to exercise and see how different it can feel.
Try a different label...
My teenage son often tells me that if we don't call an activity
"exercise," he's more willing to participate. This is a valuable
insight!
Many of us associate particular words with either positive or negative
aspects. You might-- as does my son-- link "exercise" with such things
as "hard work, pain, sweat, discomfort, effort, etc."
Depending on how you feel about the words you associate with "exercise,"
this might be another source of your resistance to physical activity.
Come up with some different words that you don't attach a negative
connotation to and use those instead. You might balk at the idea of
simply changing labels, but it can elicit quite powerful results!
For example, when we invite my teenage son to join us for a family swim
night, he's usually eager and willing. If I request his company to walk
the dog and chat, he's almost always ready to go.
You can try the same experiment with yourself.
Invite yourself to go for a brisk walk at a local park. Suggest
that you treat yourself to a brisk walk on the treadmill with a good
book. Join a community soccer league
to get to know new people and have fun playing a great sport.
Be creative!
Try a different activity...
If you find it difficult to leave the couch and exercise, perhaps the
problem is the exercise you are choosing to do.
Some of us love variety.
It might be sheer boredom that is contributing to your aversion to
physical activity. It may be that your routine of running on the
treadmill at your neighborhood gym has simply become old and tired.
If so, mix it up!
Try swimming, take a pilates or yoga class, or dust off your bicycle and
go for a ride. Not only will this sense of variety help you stay
interested and excited by exercise, your body loves the different
muscles and body parts that get to move as well.
Your body can plateau at a certain point when your exercise routine
stagnates. It-- and you-- thrives on adapting to new challenges to
endurance, flexibility, balance and cardiovascular capacity.
Even if you are content to stick with your usual mode of exercise, you
can still add a sense of variety that will amp up the challenge and
might also keep you motivated to exercise and the enjoyment of doing it.
Increase the intensity or time that you participate in a certain
physical activity. Move your arms while on the stair-stepping machine or
jog part of the time you are on the treadmill, for example.
There is no doubt that exercise is an essential part of living a
healthier, more vital life. You have an amazing amount of choice when it
comes to how you exercise and how you approach fitness.
Be creative and adventurous as you become more physically fit. And above
all, reach for new ways to enjoy yourself!
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Amy Phillips-Gary is a freelance writer, homeschool mom and personal
growth adventurer.
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Susie and Otto Collins are Relationship Coaches and
authors of 4 books on relationships and personal growth. To get their
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