By Christine Leccese
Yes, I realize exercise is one of the most fundamental activities to maintaining a good quality of life. Scads of research show it can be as effective in fighting depression as anti-depressants. Its benefits range from improved mood, better sleep, overall fitness improvement, and more. For cryin’ out loud, I know! That, however, doesn’t mean it’s easy to do. Some of us would prefer more sedentary, but no less satisfying, endeavors such as reading, watching movies or drinking tea with friends. While I wish that watching an Alias rerun would whittle my waist, it’s not going to happen. It’s time to face facts.
If exercise is not your favorite thing to do, or you can’t seem to incorporate it into your daily life, you’re not alone. Research shows that only about half of Americans exercise three times per week or more. Is it because the other half simply don’t know the benefits? I think not. Perhaps it because the other half just don’t want to schlep to the gym and sign up for a treadmill.
Fortunately, there are some ways you can “trick” yourself into exercising.
Set a Goal. Setting a reachable goal that is still a challenge can trick even the laziest among us to get moving. There’s the Couch to 5K program in which you go from a sedentary lifestyle to running in a 5k over the course of 9 weeks. There are various versions of this plan and I even found one with a free downloadable app.
Bring a Friend. Do you ever meet your friend(s) for a beer? How about a game or a cup of tea? Make plans to meet them for a walk or run or trip to the gym.
Work it into Everyday Life. If you just don’t want to exercise, no way no how, walk more often. Walk to the drug store to pick up your prescription or to your friend’s house. Anywhere within a 2-mile radius is game.
Take the stairs. In addition to helping you get more physically fit, you never have to wait for the elevator.
Park far away from your destination. This will not only force you to walk more often, but you’ll never again feel cheated because someone got a better parking spot than you.
Clean your house more often. I’m not kidding. The more you change your sheets, vacuum the living room and scrub the bathroom, the more you are moving.
Learn something new. Sign up for a class to learn something new – rock climbing, tennis, swimming, or whatever sounds fun to you. The challenge of the activity may keep your mind off the exercise part.
Christine Leccese is the communications and marketing manager at Military Pathways.
Great article with some great ideas! I have made a goal to only use the stairs at work – no more elevator for me! And I think that for such a small goal, it has really made a difference. I don’t have to huff and puff to get up the stairs anymore!
Exercise can help prevent excess weight gain or help maintain weight loss. When you engage in physical activity, you burn calories. The more intense the activity, the more calories you burn. You don’t need to set aside large chunks of time for exercise to reap weight-loss benefits. If you can’t do an actual workout, get more active throughout the day in simple ways.,–’
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