Exercise has a variety of different stigmas - some people view it as a means to make themselves thinner.... some view it as that dreaded thing that the MUST do... some refuse to partake... and some love it... crave it even. Exercise can play a very positive role in your life.
If you are one of the people that hate exercise - you get sharp pains, you get winded, your knees hurt, your back hurts... STOP! Let's take this too step by step.
Step one - You need to change the way you are looking at exercise. Hopefully by the time you finish with this post you will have what you need to change the way you look at exercise.
Step two - GET UP!! Laying down = worst possible position for ANYTHING but sleeping. Sitting = lowers metabolism, slows blood flow, leads to clots, heart disease, poor organ function, diabetes, and a whole host of ailments. Standing = burns more calories than the previous two, but no positive step forward. Walking = minimally raises metabolism; when you walk - walk with purpose - swing your arms and walk faster. I am not asking you to go from sitting on the couch to running a marathon. You can't do it all at once... you have to take baby steps.
The easiest way to get step to to work, is to find something you love to do - dancing? biking? hiking? blading? gardening? belly dancing? kick boxing? martial arts? horseback riding? swimming? ceramics? antiques? golf? Is there something you have always wanted to do, but have never had the guts to do it... NOW IS YOUR TIME!!! I bet there is someone in your circle that would love to try the same thing, but like you haven't had the guts to try it. If you want it bad enough you can do it... just put one foot in front of the other. You will notice I am sure I put a couple things in there that have NOTHING to do with exercise... I said we need to take baby steps.. if you aren't doing anything - getting up - getting ready - going out - doing something you love is your first baby step!! Make big signs... make a pact with a friend... it is easier to be motivated to make a lifestyle change when you do it with someone. So... what did you choose?
Step three - make it consistent. You need to be doing SOMETHING at a minimum daily. Now, WAIT!!! Before you freak out on me... this doesn't mean you need sustained cardio (running, aerobics, kick boxing, etc) every day.... you need to be ACTIVE every day... for at least thirty minutes. Walking, working in the yard, cleaning house, etc.. when you go out to get the mail - go for a walk - pay attention to how beautiful your surroundings are. Can you walk to pick up the kids, rather than drive? How about take the stairs rather than the elevator? Did you want dessert after dinner?? Walk to the ice cream parlor rather than drive. Get into a routine of looking for ways to extend your exercise - or movement - every day.
Step four - make it last. Cardio.. cardio.. cardio! You WILL fall in love with cardio, I promise. Most of us hate it because it hurts, it burns, etc... all cardio doesn't need to hurt. My favorite home workout is a DVD on kickboxing (Gaiam - Kickbox: Core Cross Train DVD with Patricia Moreno). The reason it is my favorite workout for home is because I get winded, and get a great workout, but without the pain of running or other types of workouts. You need to get some type of sustained cardio workout at least three days a week (when you are ready) for no less than thirty minutes - obviously that may not be possible initially - do what you can... remember BABY STEPS!!
I highly recommend that when you get to the cardio stage that you choose several different types of workouts. This benefits you in a variety of ways. It gives you variety so that you don't get bored with the same routine. It stresses different muscles for a better, well rounded weekly workout. And it makes you try something different! I recommend pilates / yoga at least once a week. This helps bring you back to your center and grounds you. I recommend some type of martial arts (not all are aggressive and competitive) - Tai Chi is on the low end and can help you calm your mind. Tai Bo (kick boxing) is more aggressive and works many different muscles - a total workout. I recommend some type of dance too - this will help you be more flexible, more centered, more self confident (oh yes!), and will make you happy! I am a TERRIBLE dancer - but I love to 2-step (repetitive) and I love belly dancing (makes me feel very feminine)... find yours...
So.. now that I have given your your direction... let me explain the WHY! This is the hook! :) I used to be one of those people that HATED (I never use that word - ask my kids) and yes I do mean HATED exercise. I tried doing too much at once - I got shin splints - I had side cramps...I hated it. I wasn't drinking enough water, that was part of the problem. Not getting enough water before, during and after exercise will cause muscle cramps, stresses the body and heart, and can cause additional problems related to dehydration. Once I learned to properly warm up, build up to a good sustained workout that didn't HURT me, and then worked my way back down... something amazing started to happen. I started getting happy... after class I was on a natural high... nothing could get me down, and I slept GREAT! Which meant my daily life improved. Why?
During sustained cardio endorphins are released into the bloodstream that affect us like a natural, giddy high. It is a wonderful feeling - one you want to repeat over and over again! This page has a great description for you: http://www.healthcentral.com/fitorfat/408/41285.html Another benefit is a boost to your metabolism. Your metabolism is boosted for 24 hours after a workout and that means that your body burns calories much better than when you are not exercising. So... the goal... Get High on Exercise!!
If you are one of the people that hate exercise - you get sharp pains, you get winded, your knees hurt, your back hurts... STOP! Let's take this too step by step.
Step one - You need to change the way you are looking at exercise. Hopefully by the time you finish with this post you will have what you need to change the way you look at exercise.
Step two - GET UP!! Laying down = worst possible position for ANYTHING but sleeping. Sitting = lowers metabolism, slows blood flow, leads to clots, heart disease, poor organ function, diabetes, and a whole host of ailments. Standing = burns more calories than the previous two, but no positive step forward. Walking = minimally raises metabolism; when you walk - walk with purpose - swing your arms and walk faster. I am not asking you to go from sitting on the couch to running a marathon. You can't do it all at once... you have to take baby steps.
The easiest way to get step to to work, is to find something you love to do - dancing? biking? hiking? blading? gardening? belly dancing? kick boxing? martial arts? horseback riding? swimming? ceramics? antiques? golf? Is there something you have always wanted to do, but have never had the guts to do it... NOW IS YOUR TIME!!! I bet there is someone in your circle that would love to try the same thing, but like you haven't had the guts to try it. If you want it bad enough you can do it... just put one foot in front of the other. You will notice I am sure I put a couple things in there that have NOTHING to do with exercise... I said we need to take baby steps.. if you aren't doing anything - getting up - getting ready - going out - doing something you love is your first baby step!! Make big signs... make a pact with a friend... it is easier to be motivated to make a lifestyle change when you do it with someone. So... what did you choose?
Step three - make it consistent. You need to be doing SOMETHING at a minimum daily. Now, WAIT!!! Before you freak out on me... this doesn't mean you need sustained cardio (running, aerobics, kick boxing, etc) every day.... you need to be ACTIVE every day... for at least thirty minutes. Walking, working in the yard, cleaning house, etc.. when you go out to get the mail - go for a walk - pay attention to how beautiful your surroundings are. Can you walk to pick up the kids, rather than drive? How about take the stairs rather than the elevator? Did you want dessert after dinner?? Walk to the ice cream parlor rather than drive. Get into a routine of looking for ways to extend your exercise - or movement - every day.
Step four - make it last. Cardio.. cardio.. cardio! You WILL fall in love with cardio, I promise. Most of us hate it because it hurts, it burns, etc... all cardio doesn't need to hurt. My favorite home workout is a DVD on kickboxing (Gaiam - Kickbox: Core Cross Train DVD with Patricia Moreno). The reason it is my favorite workout for home is because I get winded, and get a great workout, but without the pain of running or other types of workouts. You need to get some type of sustained cardio workout at least three days a week (when you are ready) for no less than thirty minutes - obviously that may not be possible initially - do what you can... remember BABY STEPS!!
I highly recommend that when you get to the cardio stage that you choose several different types of workouts. This benefits you in a variety of ways. It gives you variety so that you don't get bored with the same routine. It stresses different muscles for a better, well rounded weekly workout. And it makes you try something different! I recommend pilates / yoga at least once a week. This helps bring you back to your center and grounds you. I recommend some type of martial arts (not all are aggressive and competitive) - Tai Chi is on the low end and can help you calm your mind. Tai Bo (kick boxing) is more aggressive and works many different muscles - a total workout. I recommend some type of dance too - this will help you be more flexible, more centered, more self confident (oh yes!), and will make you happy! I am a TERRIBLE dancer - but I love to 2-step (repetitive) and I love belly dancing (makes me feel very feminine)... find yours...
So.. now that I have given your your direction... let me explain the WHY! This is the hook! :) I used to be one of those people that HATED (I never use that word - ask my kids) and yes I do mean HATED exercise. I tried doing too much at once - I got shin splints - I had side cramps...I hated it. I wasn't drinking enough water, that was part of the problem. Not getting enough water before, during and after exercise will cause muscle cramps, stresses the body and heart, and can cause additional problems related to dehydration. Once I learned to properly warm up, build up to a good sustained workout that didn't HURT me, and then worked my way back down... something amazing started to happen. I started getting happy... after class I was on a natural high... nothing could get me down, and I slept GREAT! Which meant my daily life improved. Why?
During sustained cardio endorphins are released into the bloodstream that affect us like a natural, giddy high. It is a wonderful feeling - one you want to repeat over and over again! This page has a great description for you: http://www.healthcentral.com/fitorfat/408/41285.html Another benefit is a boost to your metabolism. Your metabolism is boosted for 24 hours after a workout and that means that your body burns calories much better than when you are not exercising. So... the goal... Get High on Exercise!!
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