Happy ReNewal 2010 — Part Deux
I’ve gotten a lot of questions about exercise, so I thought I would write about what has worked for me. Here’s some food for thought when it comes to either starting or varying your exercise routine.
I found an interesting quote from Carol Welch about movement (which I translated into exercise) today:
“Movement is a medicine for creating change in a person’s physical, emotional and mental states.”
Exercise is different for everyone, so there is no “catch-all” prescription for a successful routine. Choose what’s right for you.
Here’s what I do to keep it fresh since I exercise 5 to 6 days a week for 50 to 51 weeks out of the year (I take off a full week to let my body just BE).
Ten Tips To A Better Exercise Routine in 2010
1. As you do indoor cardiovascular training (i.e., running, elliptical training, rowing, etc.), become aware of sensations in your body and just observe them. Also, observe your breath at different times during the workout. This meditation in motion keeps your mind from focusing on how much longer you have to go.
2. Try doing cardio activities outside in an inspiring setting. It’s so much easier to enjoy the workout when you’re surrounded by beauty. In the winter, try cross country skiing.
3. When lifting weights or doing resistance training, focus on the muscle group that you are training as you lift. Feel that muscle as you perform the movement. Visualize that area receiving benefit from your work.
4. Find a training program online or in a magazine that gives you a fresh new approach while guiding you through a time period that is long enough to effortlessly form a new habit.
5. Find an exercise friend. This could be someone you exercise with or it could be a friend that you report your exercise activity to in a short e-mail. It’s fun to exercise with someone else or to embark on a new program with someone else. That accountability also helps you form a habit.
6. Write out some fitness goals. You could specify weight loss goals or you could write out your routine before you start. You can keep track of your reps and sets in a notebook with weightlifting, but you could also project some targets for the next week, month or three months. Check in with these goals once per week and revise whatever is necessary.
7. Try different forms of exercise. My fitness routine includes weight lifting, mountain biking, indoor cardio, Qigong, yoga, walking around the neighborhood, hiking in nature, cross country skiing, riding my bike to errands and whatever else helps me to stay in shape and have fun.
8. If you’re trying to get started, start by setting a time each day that you will begin to associate with movement. Writing down your plans will further solidify your intention. You could start by saying, “I will walk for 20 minutes after dinner,” or “I will walk up and down the steps a few times before breakfast.” As soon as you associate a certain time of day with planned exercise of some form, you end that struggle to get your routine started.
9. Do some form of stretching in the morning. This doesn’t have to be a formal practice, but I really benefit from yoga after I awaken and meditate. A morning stretching routine eases you into the day and energizes your body. It also makes it easier to exercise later in the day because the intention for good health is there and your increased flexibility makes exercise more effective.
10. Start today! The longer you wait, the more likely it is that you won’t start. If you’ve already started, congratulations! I hope some of the ideas above will help you to be more creative in your approach.
Let’s end today’s post with two more inspiring images from Sanibel Island, Florida at sunrise.
