Has the habit of regular exercise alluded you?
Do you want good exercise habits, but have been discouraged by numerous previous attempts? It could be because you try to make too big a plan with goals that have little immediate payoff . . .Too much, too quick.
Success in creating habits of exercise mean building a plan that provides feelings of success along the way.
Feelings of success positively reward us and create the synergy we need to create or move toward our more lofty goals. This is the value of, as they say, baby steps.
Grow Habits
You should definitely have a big vision, write it down and brainstorm a list of things you think you would like to strengthen. Now, put it away as soon as you feel like it could be real.
Next, begin to activate the “activity neurons” in your brain by picking one small habit to create and begin taking action on it.
My Experience
For instance, I need to get into a regular habitual exercise program. I have noticed everything is beginning to weaken as I head through my 50’s. Each year I notice one or two more things that my lessening strength will no longer allow me to do.
About 8 mos ago I found myself asking someone to open a jar and had a stark realization, “hey when did I step down from being the one everyone else always asked to open their tough jars?”
Rather than accepting this, I decided to make a little tiny commitment to strengthening my hands.
I had these hand squeeze things in my closet and got them out. I put them in a place that would be so in my face that I would have no chance of forgetting that I had made this commitment.
The picture shows you, they now live between my keyboard and my computer screen.
It works
It’s a small commitment and not overwhelming, meant to get my brain used to the idea of doing something good in the exercise habits department. Activate my exercise habits neuro net.
Had I decided to bring exercise equipment into my kitchen, where I would see it. Had I devised a multi-step routine, my brain would have said to itself, “hey that is too much to quick”. I would likely experience a resistance to it showing up in the form of a yuck feeling when it was time to use it. Perhaps my mind would say, “No don’t start, this X is more important right now.” Ha! We birth Distraction (not the goal).
I have virtually no resistance to what I picked because I have made it so easy. It is a baby step that the rest of myself mind, body, spirit and space can accommodate easily and actually welcome.
Create Synergy
My payoff is that my hands are getting stronger. I haven’t used that rubber jar opener for a couple of months. My hand look younger as the muscle builds. I am liking my hands more and more.
Reward yourself– My reward, I started getting my nails done regularly.
I am ready to start another exercise habit . . . humm . . . what will it be? Ill pull out my brainstorm list now and give it some thought.
What will it be for you? Give it some thought.
Food for thought:
Here is a paragraph from an article I found that gives some of the activities commonly found to deplete as we age or our lifestyles become more sedentary.
” Getting out of bed, walking to the car, picking up a child, climbing the stairs, opening a jar and carrying a bag of groceries are accomplished only if you can generate the muscular force necessary to complete the task. Poor muscle strength caused by a sedentary lifestyle or medical condition increases your risk of developing limitations in your daily activities or a disability, especially as you age. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recommends that adults participate in muscle-strengthening exercise involving all major muscles at least twice weekly.” source