4 Ways To Add Exercise To Your Plan

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4 Ways To Add Exercise To Your Plan

The Motivation To Move You

You've heard it a million times. Consistent, moderate exercise is a key

component not just of weight loss, but of good health in general. Being

physically active can help reduce your risk for cancer, heart disease and

diabetes. It can relieve stress. It can give you the extra energy you long for.

But you already know all this, so why is it still so hard to get out there and

move?

~~Get Motivated, Get Moving

" No time " is a popular excuse, but what it's really about is a lack of

motivation. You've probably heard your Leader or other Meetings Members talking

about a powerful solution to this problem called Motivating Strategy from Weight

Watchers Tools For Living.

Motivating Strategy helps you use your imagination to determine the goals you

really want to achieve and then take steps toward them - whether those steps are

tracking POINTS® values, eating more fruits and vegetables, or exercising.

It works because it connects you with an action's positive results. For example,

use Motivating Strategy to find the motivation to be more physically active, and

you'll envision what it feels like to be a physically active person - what you

look like, the things you get to do and wear, the way you spend your time and

relate to others.

Once you're motivated to be more active, it's time to take those crucial first

steps. Here are some tips for getting started:

Choose activities that you actually enjoy. You're not likely to keep up any

exercise you dread doing.

Start small and work your way up by increasing your intensity or the amount of

time you spend doing the activity.

Think about the season. Now that it's summer, how can you take advantage of the

nice weather?

Buddy up. Do you have any friends or family members who are also trying to get

fit? Can you do an activity together?

~~~

How to Make Exercise a Habit

" I don't think exercise will ever be an 'easy-come' habit for me, " says one

WeightWatchers.com Community user. " More like a necessary evil. Some days I like

it, some days I hate it, but I feel so much better because of it. That's what

keeps me going. "

Sound familiar? All but the part about keeping it going, perhaps? For many,

exercise has a perpetual position at the bottom of the to-do list, occasionally

rising to the top for two-or-three-day bouts of good will. You know you have to

do it. You know it would help you lose weight faster. You know you need it for

good health.

But, at the risk of sounding like a whining four-year-old, you just don't like

it. Don't worry. We can help.

~~ Forget the Myths

First of all, these common misconceptions about exercise may be what are holding

you back:

~~Myth # 1. Exercise is never fun.

Not only can exercise be fun (do you hate playing catch with your kids? walking

through the woods?), it can help fill gaps in your life.

For example, " if you're around people all day long, you can choose an exercise

that allows you some alone time, " says Robyn Stuhr, exercise physiologist with

the Women's Sports Medicine Center at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New

York City. If you sit in front of a computer, maybe exercise can be a social

thing for you. If you never see your husband, exercise with him.

Find something that works for you on a personal level, too, and that will make

exercise more fun. Plus, you'll be more likely to do it if you look forward to

it.

~~Myth # 2. Exercise is a major disruption.

" The bottom line is that exercise, unlike diet, is something you have to make

yourself do, " says Stuhr. " Everybody has to eat every day, but you have to

purposely set aside time to work out. And it's very easy to let other things get

in the way. "

But there's a bonus to working out that you won't notice until you do it. When

you exercise, you get more energy. And when you stop (like many yo-yoers do),

your energy level starts to drop, so it's even harder to jump back in. Sticking

with it helps, even if that causes scheduling problems in the short term.

~~Make It a Habit

Making anything a habit - from exercise to eating right - is a matter of having

enough " want power, " says Palma Posillico, general manager of training and

development for Weight Watchers International. " Life gets in the way, so unless

you do something proactively, it's very easy to make excuses. "

One strategy for acquiring a new habit is to imagine the benefits of that habit

- in the case of exercise, picture yourself in great shape from becoming fit.

This will help inspire you.

~~ Here are some other tricks for making exercise a habit:

Understand that you have to start slowly, says Stuhr. An hour-long power

aerobics class on your first day will only discourage you, maybe hurt you, and

send you back to square one.

Find an exercise buddy. A workout partner can be immeasurably helpful, because

you have a responsibility to your friend not to talk yourself out of exercising.

Make sure you choose a buddy who's in about the same shape as you.

Pick an exercise you like, then commit yourself to trying it consistently for at

least three months. If you still think you hate it after that amount of time,

give yourself permission to say, okay, this isn't working. Then pick something

different and repeat.

~~~

Making Exercise Fun

Ugh. There it is, staring up at you from your planner. The words " work out " with

all kinds of stars and circles drawn around them to call you to action. You know

you should hit the gym after work, but you dread it. You'd much rather go

directly home and spend some quality time with the TV remote. How do people do

it? You know there are people out there who actually enjoy exercise. It must

just be a gene you weren't born with.

The reality is that we all possess the ability to tap into an enjoyment of

exercise. In fact, it's kind of like Dorothy's red slippers - you've had it all

along. To find it, you need to seek out what exercise professionals like to

refer to as " the fun factor. " The theory goes that if it's enjoyable, it won't

be a chore, and you'll want to do it.

~~Tapping into Your Enthusiasm

There are two ways to increase the fun in your workout: Minimize monotony and

routine while maximizing variety, enjoyment and physical beauty. Another clue:

This doesn't involve checking heart rates or concerning yourself with aerobic

thresholds.

" Explore doing things you loved to do as a kid, things that were naturally

athletic, " says Ingrid Bacci, author of The Art of Effortless Living (Vision

Works, 2000) and a fitness professional who teaches " effortless " sports at

several country clubs in the Northeast. " Rolling on the floor or down a hill,

wrestling, running, Rollerblading. It's all about feeling your body and feeling

the elements - water, wind, earth - against your body. "

Researchers at Tufts University even say that the more fun an exercise is, the

more stress it reduces. But it only works if you can determine what's fun for

you. If you're a social animal, maybe try out group activities such as mall

walking, team volleyball, square dancing, a running club or softball. If the

wild calls, consider a mountain bike, snow shoes or cross-country skiing. Or

make your bike ride more of a nature hunt, looking for the first trees to change

color in the neighborhood. And for those who crave singular, intense tasks, try

rock-climbing or marathons. Whatever you decide, the key is to investigate,

experiment and try a variety of activities.

~~Experiment with Your Inner-Athlete

Remember, even athletes get the blues. Or at least bored. " I've always enjoyed

exercise, but like anyone, I can get in a rut, especially when I'm not

improving, " says Bacci. For her, the rut arrived when she felt her tennis game

stalling. " So I did something a lot of people might consider odd, " she says.

" Instead of focusing on my game, I started focusing on my body while I played. "

Bacci thought about her feet when she was running on the court, the feeling of

the racket in her hand, and the pleasurable feeling of the wind on her shoulders

and face. And get this: Her game improved by leaps and bounds. " I was getting

more in touch with myself, instead of trying to perform or achieve some goal. "

The moral of the story: Stop trying to " exercise " so hard and instead focus on

experiencing pleasure and fun. It works!

~~~

5 Ways to Beat Exercise Boredom

You know it like you know many of life's truths: the sun will rise tomorrow, one

item always remains on a to-do list, you cannot hide things from your scale or

your mother, and, most important, exercise is a must.

But knowing and doing are two separate concepts. " The beginning of a new routine

is usually not a problem, " says Ronda Gates, a lifestyle management counselor in

Lake Oswego, Oregon. " It's farther down the road, when the new lifestyle still

isn't integrated and the old one is tugging on you to return. "

To help you make exercise a regular reality, consider these expert suggestions

from Gates and several faithful exercisers.

1. Develop a plan of accountability, says Gates. " For some people

it's simply writing information in an exercise journal, and for

others it's reporting to a coach or another person, " she

says. " Commitment plus accountability equals success. "

2. Rely on the pleasure principle. Ask yourself what motivates you,

what you enjoy. Gates suggests listening to audio tapes or

watching television while on an exercise machine.

" I hate to exercise but I like to walk, " says Naomi, a legal secretary who lives

in Brooklyn, New York. " I get off a stop early on the bus or train and I walk

home or to work. I also have a Walkman with me. Time goes by fast and I get my

exercise. "

3. Seek variety. If you walk outdoors on the same path every day,

attempt to find one thing that's different about your walk - an

emerging flower, the number of dogs in the neighborhood - or take

a different route each time.

4. Pick an exercise buddy. " Exercising with a friend allows you to

monitor your intensity while you get caught up on one another's

news, " says Gates. " If I think my exercise will be boring,

meeting and walking with someone is a guaranteed cure for

relieving that boredom. "

5. Keep your eye on the prize. " Just do it, " says , a New York-

based executive assistant. " I work out three times a week in the

morning so I start my day off feeling good. I don't enjoy losing

an extra hour of sleep, but I enjoy how I feel during and after

my workout, " says

" It's a part of life, " she adds. " Sometimes I don't like going to work but I

have to do it to enjoy the rewards of my life. I feel the same way about working

out. "

~~~

Is Exercise Your Friend or Foe?

Are you an exercise lover, hater or somewhere in between? Take our

self-assessment quiz to find out.

Travel back in time to junior high gym class. Which of the following

best describes you?

__ I was always the one who picked teams.

__ I was always picked somewhere in the middle of the lineup.

__ I was always picked on.

On your way to doing your exercise routine - whether it be aerobics

at the gym or a walk around the park - how do you feel?

__ Distracted. There are so many other things that need to be done!

__ Excited. I need a release!

__ Grumpy. This is the last thing I want to be doing.

It's Saturday afternoon at the park, and you're enjoying the day

with your family. Describe the scene.

__ We just finished playing bocce ball, and now we're on to tag.

__ The kids are off playing, and my partner and I are reading the

newspaper.

__ One word: BARBECUE!

If you and exercise were in couples counseling, what would be your

major complaint?

__ " I wish I had more time for you, but I don't. "

__ " I love that I can count on you, but sometimes I feel like you're

a little predictable. "

__ " We have absolutely nothing in common. "

What's your favorite kind of exercise?

__ The kind that gives me the most output for the least amount of

work.

__ The kind I don't have to do.

__ The kind that really pushes me to my limit.

You need to get some groceries, and the store is down the street.

How do you get there?

__ In the car, of course. I don't want to carry that stuff all the

way home.

__ I gather the kids and head off on a walk. We could all use the

exercise.

__ I speed walk there. On the way back, I pack the purchases into a

bag and work on my arms.

Growing up, in which part of the house would you most often find

your family?

__ The kitchen.

__ The yard.

__ The living room.

You're extremely busy this week and you can tell you won't have a

chance to get in your regular workout. You see this as:

__ A shame.

__ A bummer, but oh well.

__ A great excuse.

~~You're an exercise hater.

But you don't have to be. In fact, if you look deep down, you'll probably find

that you haven't always considered the thought of being active so annoying. What

kinds of things did you like to do when you were a kid? Jump? Skip rope? Play

tag? Those games were all forms of exercise, but you didn't consider them that

at the time - you just thought you were playing.

You can apply the same idea to your life today. " Try things that are exercise

but don't seem like it, " says Rochelle Rice, author of Real Fitness for Real

Women (Warner Books, 2001). " Run around with your kids, or dance while cleaning.

All movement is good. " Get together with a group of friends and walk to the

park, try those same sports and games you did as a kid, go on a romantic stroll

with a date. " Recognize that you're moving, " says Rice, but that moving doesn't

have to mean formal exercises like traditional running or Jazzercise. Soon the

movement will start to grow, and you'll be eager to move your exercises from an

easy to a moderate level.

~~You have a love-hate relationship with exercise.

You stick with your workouts because you consider them something of a necessary

evil. But you're delighted when you - surprise! - find yourself actually

enjoying exercise. The trick to exposing your inner exerciser is changing it up

a bit, finding a variety of exercises that you enjoy. " You may need something in

place to keep the idea of exercise fresh, " says Rochelle Rice, author of Real

Fitness for Real Women (Warner Books, 2001). Join a volleyball team or sign up

for tennis lessons - something that requires you to make a commitment. Or find

an exercise buddy. And, urges Rice, " Always schedule your exercise and stick to

the schedule - carve a place for it in your lifestyle. "

~~You're an exercise lover.

You have a great relationship with exercise - keep at it! Watch out for burnout,

though: You don't want to lose your stamina by sticking with a routine that

might start to bore you. " Ask yourself how you can open up your program a bit

more, " says Rochelle Rice, author of Real Fitness for Real Women (Warner Books,

2001). You may consider running for a cause or training for a triathlon. Also,

urges Rice, " Make sure your aerobic strength and flexibility levels are all

equal. " If your aerobic routine is down pat, start looking at doing more

mind-body work, such as tai chi or yoga.