Sticking To Your Exercise Program

Don’t fall off the treadmill (or bike, or rower, or…)

New year’s resolutions around fitness and exercise are incredibly popular. The excitement and hope generated by the start of the year makes starting an exercise program easy.

Now that a few months have passed, staying with it gets hard. Life gets busy, motivation drops, and suddenly you’re back on the couch, wondering how you’re 6 episodes into The Golden Bachelor instead of at the gym. 

You know the benefits of exercise – they’re probably what motivated you to start exercising in the first place. If you need a reminder, here are just a few:

• 3 hours of exercise a week reduced pain and disability by 47% in people with knee arthritis
• Exercise reduced the progression of dementia by 50%
• Exercise reduced the risk of hip fracture in post-menopausal women by 47%
• A meta analysis showed exercise decreased anxiety by 48%
• A low dose of exercise relieves depression in 30% of people, a higher dose woks for 47% of people
• A 12 year study of 10,000 Harvard alumni showed that people who exercised were 23% less likely to die
• Exercise is the #1 treatment for fatigue

Knowing that you should exercise or why you should exercise isn’t the problem. Actually getting up and doing it is. Here are our eight top tips for making sure you stick to your exercise plan:

1. Do activities you enjoy. Exercise isn’t punishment. Choose activities that are fun. It could be running, walking the dog, dancing, swimming, kickboxing, or playing a sport.
2. Schedule it. Schedule your workouts like you would any other important appointment. When people ask you to do something else during that time, say “sorry, I’ve got an appointment.” The more you make exercise a routine, the less likely you are to skip it.
3. Don’t go it alone. Having someone waiting for you at the gym really motivates you to get there. Having support helps push you to work harder, and motivates you when you’re feeling down. Your support could be a friend, the other people in a group fitness class, or a trainer.
4. Mix it up. Try a new class. If you usually run at the same pace, try intervals. Walk a different route. Doing the same thing over and over again gets boring and leads to burnout. Keep things interesting to stay interested.
5. Track your progress. Bonus points if you find a way to make it visual somehow. Our brains love to see tasks checked off, a chart or numbers going up, and rings closing. Seeing how far you’ve come is a great motivator. Keep track of your workouts in a journal, make a spreadsheet, use an app or fitness tracker.
6. Bribes work. Celebrate your successes, no matter how small. Set a goal to work out 3 times this week and treat yourself to your favorite coffee when you do. Buy yourself a new workout outfit, get a massage, or anything else that will help you stay motivated when you reach milestones.
7. Adjust. Don’t push yourself too hard, especially when you’re starting out. If you’re feeling tired and sore, take the intensity down. Plan rest days into your routine. Don’t make your goal and plan so rigid that it’s impossible to complete in the real world.
8. Forgive yourself! Everyone has setbacks. You’re going to get sick. You’re going to miss a workout. That’s ok. Pick yourself up and get back on track. With the right mindset and a little perseverance, you can reach your fitness goals.

If pain or injury is preventing you from reaching your fitness goals, call your local ACCESS PT office today. We’re happy to help!

Article courtesy of APTA