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how to create an exercise plan you'll stick to
New Study Reveals What You Think about “Exercise”
Did you just get hungrier? Don’t worry, that’s normal.
By Leah Zerbe
Revisit your favorite childhood physical activity for exercise ideas you won’t want to run away from.
RODALE NEWS, EMMAUS, PA—When it comes time to exercise, most of us can make a page-long list of reasons to do anything but hop on a treadmill or head outside for a walk around the neighborhood. In fact, a new study even found that just thinking of exercise caused college students to eat more. Still, don’t let that news deter you from getting fit. You just have to learn to find a workout program that fits your playful style.
THE DETAILS: In the study linking the thought of exercise to eating more, researchers showed 53 college students either print ads for exercise campaigns, or ones that had nothing to do with working out. Afterward, they were given 20 raisins, and given the instructions to eat as many as they wanted. The ones who viewed the exercise ads ate about 6 calories more than those in the non-exercise-viewing group. In a second study, college students were exposed to messages containing action words, such as “go,” and the other group was not. Those exposed to action-oriented words ate about 21 calories more worth of M&Ms than the other group.
WHAT IT MEANS: Six to 20 extra calories isn’t going to wreck anyone’s health, but the study does suggest that the idea of exercising doesn’t necessarily make us want to go out and exercise. Fortunately, there are ways to make your workout more appealing.
Here’s how to create an exercise plan that you’ll actually look forward to, not stress over.
• Make exercise fun. Part of the reason people loathe exercising is because their routine can be boring. If you have trouble getting excited about your workout, think about a physical activity you loved as a child, and find an exercise that replicates it. For instance, if your mom was always yelling at you to stop climbing that tree in the yard, you might want to consider indoor or outdoor rock climbing.
• Invest with a buddy. If you find you usually give up on an exercise program before you even break your new sneakers in, you might want to find someone on a similar fitness level as a workout buddy. If you want to take that a step further, Walter Thompson, PhD, professor of kinesiology and health at Georgia State University, suggests pooling your funds to hire a personal trainer. Although you won’t get strict one-on-one attention, you’ll enjoy a reduced fee and get to work out with a friend. Look for a trainer with a college degree in exercise science and a certification from an NCCA accredited national certification organization.
• Try something new. Check out our story on 2009 fitness trends to see what exercise techniques are most popular this year, test them out, and stick with the ones you like most for a more enjoyable workout. Or alternate between them to keep things fresh.
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It is nice to find a site
It is nice to find a site about my interest. My first visit to your site is been a big help. Thank you for the efforts you been putting on making your site such an interesting and informative place to browse through. I'll be visiting your site again to gather some more valuable information.
Micheal
Exercise is a good medicine
Exercise is a good medicine to our body it's help burn calories and fat fast. -Instant Tax Solutions Complaints
Exercise
Yes! The other poster had the right idea. I too have bad knees as well as bad hips. Water exercise takes the pressure off of them and allows me to move more freely. Contact local gyms and physical therapists to see if they have a pool or other facilities for working out in water. I think you will be amazed at how much more freely you can move when you are in the relative weightlessness of a pool.
Exercise
After seeing the person 64 and almost immobile, I'm going to start walking again today! I used to enjoy it. When I had knee pain--a tendon or ligament at a guess, I used water aerobics that even after only twice weekly classes were able to take the pain completely away.
I am so sorry...
Since we are about the same age (but I refuse to use the word "old") I feel your frustration. Do you have an indoor or outdoor pool available to you? I believe that tThis is really the very best way to get some exercise. You can join the Y for very little. I jog in our lap pool every day (up to 66 laps and counting). It is meditative to me. You would not have to job. Just do a search for water exercises onlline and I'm sure there are plenty. The most important thing is to BELIEVE that you can do it. And then DO IT. Good luck to you.
Easy on the knees excercise
Water arobics and pool exciercise programs are a great way to excercise without the impact on your knees!
EXERCISE
How does an older lady, who can hardly walk due to extreme knee pain, find a way to exercise? Doctors want to do knee replacement surgery,but coming up with the money is extremely hard, so I grin and bare the pain. I am 64 yrs old and almost immobile, but being so overweight, I need to find some kind of exercise I can do with these horrible bad knees. Do you have any suggestions? I also have a bad back and have had back surgery many years ago, so this to is a problem when exercising. I hope I can get some respond to this problem I have!!!
NO Exercise - Short cut to the grave
To the reader who wrote exercise is a short cut to the grave. It is the opposite....don't do it and you'll find yourself in trouble for sure. Even walking is good enough if done in a routine. Think twice about your body - it's all you have on this earth.
Making it fun - so true!
Competitive ballroom dance is my passion. At 64 I was doing splits, backbends and tricks in my Latin routines. A year ago I had to stop (hopefully not forever)due to the economy and all. My skinny frame is now flabby (ugh!). I was feeling very badly about myself. Then, I just ordered the Dancing with the Stars Latin Cardio DVDs from Rodale and started dancing and exercising! What a workout. And I'm doing something I love. Dancing.
Exercise
Ahh, exercise, the short cut to the grave.
Benefits of Exercise
Good article. I like to think of the benefits that I get from the exercise and not the "chore" at hand. This helps to get myself out the door and into the exercise of the day.