Family Fitness Magazine

“A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step“ (Lao Tsu)

and starting on a journey towards becoming more active is a step in the right direction. So what stops us? Usually the first barriers to overcome are the negative excuses:-

“It’s Too Hard”: Yes it does take some effort to move out of our comfort zones and we need the stick and the carrot to make the donkey in us move. When we are driven by a desire to change and motivated by ultimate goals, whether that be more energy or staying younger, it’s not that hard to start being active.

“I don’t’ have time”: You do have to make the time or rather you have to make better use of your time. After all, changing sedentary routines into more active ones uses the same amount of time. Switch some of that TV/computer time into activity time or some of those short car journeys into walks.

“It’s boring”: How do you know if you have not tried? Or maybe you tried the wrong kind of fitness routines for your personality or lifestyle. You may need to sample a variety of activities before you find ones that you really like.

3 Tips to Get you Started:
– Start with an activity that you don’t have to learn new skills for, such as walking, cycling or swimming
– Start with a friend or a family member for encouragement and support
– Start at a pace that is suitable for your health, lifestyle and limitations

We asked personal trainer Lisa Hill for her thoughts:
“Motivate Yourself: Find a reason to begin an activity and keep that goal in mind when you exercise or better still write it down. If it helps to motivate you, track your progress by ticking off your activity days If you lose motivation, set new goals or try a new activity
Pace Yourself: Aim to start doing something a couple of times a week and then build it up gradually. Pick a time that suits your diary and lifestyle and begin doing some activity on the same days each week. That way, it quickly becomes part of your weekly routine.
Enjoy Yourself: Choose something that suits you – if you dislike aerobic exercise then don’t force yourself to go jogging. It’s better to enjoy brisk walking each week than dread your next run on the tread mill.

It is true that getting started is often the hardest part, but remember, you only have to do it once, as after that, you have started!!!”

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Go!

So you’ve decided that you are going to start improving your health and fitness levels. But what can you do if you just can’t get started or your enthusiastic start has fizzled out? Here are some suggestions….

1.Get a support team. Doing more exercise and adjusting your diet is going to make a change to those around you, too. If your family aren’t supportive of your goals it will be even more difficult for you, conversely they could provide the encouragement you need. Take time to explain why it is important to you and ask them to help you make exercise and healthy eating a priority. Hopefully they will also want to adopt the new health and fitness regime!

2.Get a buddy. If you’re lacking the motivation to get going then find a mentor. This could be someone who is in a similar situation to you so you can act as each other’s ‘conscience’. It could be someone who is simply a ‘good influence’: People who are fit and healthy are often really delighted to help others get going. A colleague, neighbour, fellow mum at school….someone you see regularly in the course of your everyday life.

3. Keep bad influences at bay. And learn to say ‘no’. No need to become a total social recluse but keep your distance from those people whose own lifestyles are not in keeping with your new regime. A harsh approach but once you’ve got going, reaping the benefits and are stronger mentally you’ll be able to resist temptation!

4. Review expectations. Remember, ANY extra exercise or improvement to your diet is better than none. Take time to analyse why you aren’t able to motivate yourself. Have you been ill? Are you expecting too much? Has work been really stressful? Don’t beat yourself up, just draw a line underneath it and get going again. Above all, do not set yourself unrealistically high targets.

5. Seek out other forms of exercise. If you joined a gym and are finding it hard to get there, be honest as to why. We are fortunate that there are many choices of exercise. Perhaps you simply need to rethink your choices. Exercise MUST be enjoyable otherwise you won’t stick at it. Group exercise is great fun, as the camaraderie builds it becomes sociable and unmissable!

6. Take small steps and reward yourself. If you’ve had trouble getting going then decide what will motivate you. Set yourself a small goal and line up a suitable reward.. In a short space of time you’ll start reaping the rewards of exercising and you will then feel more motivated.

7. Get a Heart Rate Monitor. Many people like to have specific goals against which to train. With few exceptions, I provide my Personal Training clients with a heart rate monitor. This provides them with essential feedback on how hard they are working and they tell me how brilliant it is!

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