A lot of people get daunted at the thought of exercise. Sometimes getting into an exercise regime sounds so intimidating and tiresome. People can even feel their bodies aching just at the thought of it.
I guess calling it an exercise regime doesn’t help much, it sounds so threatening. A better phrase would be an “active lifestyle”, sounds better right?
You must understand that the purpose of an active lifestyle is to create exercise habits that lead to a healthier lifestyle. The term “habit” is used because these activities have to continuously be a part of your life, which is what people find most daunting.
To change your habits you will have to change your mind-set. You must commit yourself to ridding of bad habits and picking up new good habits. Like using the car less and walking more, or cooking home meals rather than eating fast food.
You also need to associate positive thoughts and emotions to having an active lifestyle. Your mind is powerful and can affect how your body reacts to exercise. If your body associates negativity to exercise than you will never feel good about exercise even if it is good for your body. If your mind is positive about exercise then you will enjoy exercise and its results.
It helps to plan out your exercises. Do not try to do everything at once or to get into the full exercise regime all at once. Take small steps towards an active lifestyle. You do not have to take long runs on the first day; you could simply start with short walks, then long walks, then short jogs, then long jogs and so on. After drawing up your exercise plan and schedule, consistency should be your next goal. Choose the days and times that fit well into your schedule and stick to the exercise plan. Rome wasn’t built in a day, neither will a healthier you. There are no shortcuts to having a healthy lifestyle, so be prepared for a new lifestyle. Variety is your friend. Spice up your exercise routine by switching it up a bit. Trying something new could be fun and re affirming. So if you usually play tennis try playing basketball once in a while.
Exercise is far much easier if you do it with friends. Being active is more fun if you are surrounded by others and can socialize. You can encourage each other, share experiences and even have small competitions based on your exercises.
Changing how you approach an active lifestyle could make a huge difference in your results. How you approach an active lifestyle also has a bearing on whether or not you will stick with it. So a bit of preplanning can go a long way, earnest commitment from the beginning will get you through the hard times.