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Exercise is hard. Maybe not for those who love it or lead it, but therein lies the problem. The people who are most passionate about exercise become the promoters of exercise. I’m a promoter of exercise\u2014for more than 20 years I have stood in front of classes and clients with the hopes of inspiring the uninspired, motivating the unmotivated, and moving those who really don’t want to move. And yet it was only about four years ago that I found out I had been approaching this all wrong.<\/p>\n
Reading this statement from\u00a0No Sweat\u00a0<\/em>(AMACOM, 2015) by Michelle Segar, Ph.D., was my first clue: \u201cWhen motivation is linked to distant, clinical or abstract goals, health behaviors are not compelling enough to trump the many other daily goals and priorities they constantly compete with.\u201d What? This is the approach I had been using for ages to help my clients\u2014defining S.M.A.R.T. (i.e., specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and timely) goals and scripting the perfect plan to meet those goals.<\/p>\n I was fortunate to meet and work with Dr. Segar, and spend time discussing her research and observations regarding motivation and exercise. As a result, my view of exercise and how to encourage others to enjoy it was forever changed. Here\u2019s what I learned:<\/p>\n We are always talking about exercise\u2014the number of minutes and the effort we need to sustain, as well as the specific protocols and formulas for achieving results. However, what we really should be talking about is movement and finding joy in those moments we \u201cget\u201d to move.<\/p>\n Sure, going for a run or taking a cycling class might burn more calories and tax your heart more than dancing with your toddler in the living room. And a carefully designed strength-training routine can certainly help you feel and move better. But none of this matters if you won\u2019t do it or, worse, you dread doing it.<\/p>\n When exercise sounds overly complicated, or you\u2019re worried about whether or not you can do it, or you simply don\u2019t like how it feels, it\u2019s natural to opt out. Instead, I urge you to forget the \u201cmust dos\u201d for a bit. Rather than worrying about finding the perfect type of exercise for you, choose movement. It can be anything that gets you off the couch. Just be sure to make it something that is convenient and enjoyable for you, personally.<\/p>\n Walking, dancing, riding your bike with your kiddo, swimming, stand-up paddle boarding\u2014it all counts. Your choice need not be conventional, prescriptive or institutional. It just needs to get you moving and bring a smile to your face. The goal is to discover an activity that feels like a gift, Segar says, rather than a chore. Because when you find that one (or more) thing that you look forward to doing (rather than dread doing), the activity that you want more of (rather than out of), that\u2019s when movement is magic.<\/p>\n Moving should make you feel good. And when you find joy in the moment versus attaching the exercise to burning a certain number of calories to achieve a goal in the future, you might actually do it. That\u2019s what we\u2019re after\u2014movement for life, not just to make the number on a scale move.<\/p>\n Don\u2019t forget to give yourself credit for moving. Of course, you will benefit from doing more, but there\u2019s time for that. Instead of immediately aiming for the recommended 150 minutes of activity a week\u2014a goal you may fall short of or be unable to maintain when getting started\u2014set your baseline (how much are you moving each day) and try to meet or beat it for a period of time. The more \u201cwins\u201d you get, the more confident you\u2019ll feel. The more confident you feel, the more you\u2019ll do. You get the picture.<\/p>\n Finally, Dr. Segar cautions against beginning with the wrong \u201cwhy,\u201d or reason why you want to be active. Changing your why is the secret to success. Instead of attempting to exercise for a goal in the future, whether two weeks or two years in the future, focus on the gift of the moment and find joy in how movement makes you feel right now.<\/p>\n Exercise enthusiasts like me often have a hard time understanding why other people don\u2019t love exercise like we do, but I\u2019ve since come to realize it\u2019s because I\u2019ve discovered the ways I like to move my body that give me joy in the moment, not some reward in the future. My challenge to you is to find the activity, which could be anything from ballroom dancing to jumping on the trampoline with your kids, that brings you this same joy in exercise. I\u2019m absolutely certain that you will find it.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n