5 tips to overcome exercise apathy

Good article, good advice!

positiveway.me 

We all know the importance of exercise. From reducing major health risks to boosting mood, vitality and even brain power! Yet the sad fact remains that less that 80% of the developed world achieve the recommended level of exercise every week, with many people still doing no structured exercise at all. Obesity levels continue to rise and cardiac disease remains a major killer in the western world. The fact is we all need to overcome our exercise apathy and make positive steps if we want to live longer and fuller lives. So what tips will help you to get active and stay more consistent?

Aim For Shorter, More Intense WorkoutsThe most common excuse given for not exercising is lack of time. We all lead busy lives, have demanding jobs and hectic social commitments. But what if you could burn fat, improve your cardiovascular health and feel better with just 4 minutes of exercise a day? Surely we could all manage that.

The fact is that lack of time is no longer a valid excuse for not exercising. As exercise scientists have revealed, shorter more intense workouts can be just as effective, if not more so than longer exercise sessions. In fact some of the world’s leading celebrity personal trainers now recommend short “power workouts” to their clients lasting as little as 4 minutes at a time!

These short, intense workouts are based upon the principle of interval training which can provide many of the benefits of prolonged exercise but in a fraction of the time. Scientists at McMaster University in Ontario found that just a few minutes of exercise when working at one’s maximum capacity produced changes within the muscles similar to those produced with several hours of prolonged low-intensity jogging or cycling.

Shorter workouts are also easier to fit into our schedule and don’t go on long enough for boredom to set in. Evidence shows that we are also more likely to stick to exercise by keeping each session shorter.

Exercise With OthersEven some of the world’s highest paid sports stars admit to having days that they would rather not train. On those kind of days its great to have a workout buddy who can help you find your mojo. Training with friends or family is a proven way of helping to stay motivated. This is one of reasons exercise classes have become so popular, from BodyPump to Zumba there are all sorts of classes you could choose from. Even if you just want to go for a run, why not go with a friend and run together. Adding a social element to exercise can really help to keep your interest levels higher.

Set Yourself Specific GoalsExercising with no goal is like sailing a boat with no real destination. Yes the journey can be fun, but where precisely are you heading? It’s proven that we are likely to stay more motivated and will stick to exercise more consistently if we have a pre-defined goal. It may be a weight loss target or perhaps a fitness goal. Try finding a picture of the kind of body you aspire to and stick this on the fridge. It’s a reminder to you every day of what you’re working towards. Set yourself mini-goals along the way to help to keep yourself focused.

Reward Yourself For Your Exercise Efforts
Remember at school when you got rewarded for good work? Didn’t you feel good? It’s a proven psychological trigger that helps us to want to do well and to continue to push ourselves. So why not promise yourself a reward if you achieve your fitness goals. It could be an item of clothing, a night at the movies or just an afternoon with your feet up. Setting rewards for your actions has been proven to help with exercise adherence.

Vary Your Exercise Routine
We all make time for doing the things we enjoy. That’s just human nature. So why push yourself to run endlessly on a treadmill if you hate doing it! There are so many ways we can get fit from individual pursuits like running, climbing and trekking to team sports like football, tennis and volleyball. Find an activity you will enjoy and one you are likely to stick to and don’t be afraid to try new pursuits. Maybe get your family involved and go cycling together at weekends. By keeping your exercise regime less routine and more varied you will be far more likely to stick with it.

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Matthew Rowe is an exercise physiologist and master personal trainer at MotivatePT where he helps inspire others to lead healthy and more fulfilling lives through fitness and wellbeing. With over 20 years experience in the Fitness Industry, Matthew is a prolific writer and speaker on the subject of all things health and fitness related.

http://www.pickthebrain.com/blog/5-tips-to-overcome-exercise-apathy/

Fitness

image by Brianna Long

Fitness 1.       The state of being fit 2.       Biology a.       The degree of adaptation of an organism to its environment…. When you think of fitness does it bring up memories of PE class, or playing in a sport, maybe working out at the gym? Some form of physical exercise is what often comes to mind when thinking of fitness. We worry about fitness because we want to be healthy. However, the definition above from dictionary.com can be used in a broader sense. The state of being fit is important not just physically, but also mentally, emotionally and spiritually. I believe that to be truly fit, one must be healthy in mind, body and soul and will focus on that in this blog. The mind affects the body which affects the mind in a continuous spiral. For example have you  felt sad or had difficulty concentrating, been irritable or easily frustrated, felt hopeless or loss of interest in things you like? If you or someone you know were experiencing those symptoms you would probably suspect depression. But what if you were having headaches, muscle or joint aches, back or chest pains, digestive problems, fatigue? Did you know these were also symptoms of depression? "Because these symptoms occur with many conditions, many depressed people never get help, because they don't know that their physical symptoms might be caused by depression. A lot of doctors miss the symptoms, too." (webmd.com) So an individual might go to a doctor to address the physical symptoms but either because of lack of knowledge about depression or stigma associated with mental health issues, the mental component is neglected. The person's physical symptoms may resolve for a time because of the medical treatment, but either the symptoms return, or new physical symptoms develop. The point is, the problem is still there. If that's not enough, don't forget that it's quite common for people to self-medicate with alcohol, drugs, shopping, food, or gambling. Any of these can and will exacerbate a physical problem or create havoc in relationships or contribute to financial problems - all of which will only worsen the mental health issue (or create a new one). And let's not forget the affects it has on sleep and nutrition, both of which play a role in how you feel physically, mentally and emotionally. Finally, as a christian, I cannot help but think of St. Augustine of Hippo who said: “Thou hast made us for thyself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it finds its rest in thee.”  Sadly, so many people use things, peoples, substances as a way to fill that void in all our hearts that only God can fill. We tell ourselves so many "if onlys." If only I was: thin enough, smart enough, successful enough, rich enough, owned this house or that car....and the list goes on and on. Even if we achieve what we are think we need to be happy, we discover we are still not happy, we are still unfulfilled. As a licensed mental health counselor, it is my mission-my passion to help individuals be fully integrated, healthy and whole -mind, body and soul. It is not enough to deal with the physical symptoms, the emotional/mental struggle or the spiritual void. If you address one without addressing the problem you are only putting a band aid on the problem but it is still there. That is what this blog will address. Health issues from the perspective of the mind, body and soul! I welcome your stories of struggles and success! Peace, Candice Chaloupka, MA, LMHC

Is sugar toxic?

Nutrition is a huge factor in your physical and mental health. There is a lot of information on the effects of sugar on your body. Over the past several decades, sugar use has increased and can be found in most of the foods we eat. What role sugar plays in the increase in disease and obesity is under investigation in this segment of CBS 60 Minutes.

Mirror, Mirror on the wall....

Maleficent appears courtesy of disney.com

"Mirror, mirror on the wall, who's the fairest of them all?"

Those famous words from the classic Disney movie (based on a story by the Grimm brothers), introduce us to the evil queen, Maleficent. Clearly this wicked step-mother of Snow White has some self esteem issues. Needing to be constantly reassured of her beauty, she consults a magic mirror who's only job apparently was to stroke the queen's ego.

All is well in her world and she feels good until the mirror informs her of competition for the title of "fairest one of all." Apparently being the second fairest in the land was not good enough. Jealousy rears its ugly head and the queen decides to take out her young and beautiful stepdaughter, none other than Snow White.

“Welcome to the wonderful world of jealousy, he thought. For the price of admission, you get a splitting headache, a nearly irresistible urge to commit murder, and an inferiority complex. Yippee.” ― J.R. Ward, Dark Lover

Sadly, the queen and her obsession with her looks is not unique to fairy tales. Thanks to the media and marketing, many women today believe if they were thin, had perfect skin and met the cultural ideal of beauty, they would be happy. We've developed an "inferiority complex" and are miserable. Unlike Maleficent who went after her rival, women hurt themselves in an effort to reach attain what is really a false sense of happiness.

Do you judge your worth by your weight? Does the scale determine how you feel and what you eat for the rest of the day? Dieting hurts a person, physically and mentally. The sad reality is, even if you do lose the weight, you still wont' be happy or satisfied. Whatever issues underlie your feelings of inferiority are still there and now instead of worrying about having to lose weight, you worry about gaining the weight back!

That's why dieting does not work! So mentally you are stressed and feel inferior, and physically you take risks by trying to starve yourself or taking whatever the latest pill is that promises you will lose the weight! At no point are you happy and enjoying life. It saddens me when I talk to and work with women who feel this way. I know how miserable it is because I use to be one of those women.

I'm not saying you should not want to be at a healthy weight. I'm saying you need to change how you achieve it. Change your perspective. Want to feel good about yourself? Be in the best health you can be in through exercise, fueling your body properly AND by working through any negative thinking you have.

If you want to loose weight for health reasons, then you need to change the way you think about food and your body. If you don't, and you continue to die(t), you will be miserable just like Maleficent.

To be continued......

Change your Direction

Fitness

Obstacles

"If you’re trying to achieve, there will be roadblocks. I’ve had them; everybody has them. But obstacles don’t have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don’t turn around give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it."
     -Michael Jordan






Have a goal? Be prepared for setbacks and bad days. Identify any obstacles - internal and external that you will face. Whenever I work with a client on changing thinking and behaviors, I always have them write down what they know will come up to derail their progress.

How do you know what will be an obstacle? Look at whatever you use as an excuse for not following through – not enough time, not enough energy, etc. Identify the obstacle and plan for it. Remove the excuse! 

Maybe you know from experience that when you wait to exercise until after work you are too busy with making dinner, taking care of the kids, etc., so by the time you have a moment, you are too tired and ready for bed. If that’s the case then look at working out in the morning before work.

I know, I know, I hate the thought of getting up early too. Who wants to get up at 4 a.m. to workout? Not the lazy person inside of you with no goals or health ambitions. But what about the new you? The part of you that wants to see positive changes in health, both physical and mental. That person will make the sacrifice and will be rewarded with more energy.

Ok, so you decide you want to get up but keep hitting the snooze button. Move the alarm clock across the room so you have to get out of bed to turn it off. Have your clothes laid out with you shoes so you can’t use the excuse that it takes too long to get ready.

Still not convinced to work out in the morning? Then what about over the lunch hour? Just don’t forget to eat something healthy to fuel your workout and the rest of your day.

"I’ve always found that anything worth achieving will always have obstacles in the way and you’ve got to have that drive and determination to overcome those obstacles on route to whatever it is that you want to accomplish."
     -Chuck Norris

What are other strategies to overcoming obstacles? 

Impossible....

http://www.tumblr.com/tagged/not-impossible

Impossible is just a big word thrown around by small men who find it easier to live the world they have been given, rather than to explore the power they have to change it. Impossible is not a fact. It is an opinion. Impossible is not a declaration. It is a dare. Impossible is potential. Impossible is temporary. Impossible is nothing.-- Muhammad Ali