How I Overcame Excuses and Made Exercise a Daily Habit.
Minute for your health #54
Some people love exercise - I do NOT.
And yet I do some form of exercise nearly every day - and enjoy it.
Most people I know would like to exercise more.
And there are many good reasons for doing so, including:
Reduced risk of cardiovascular disease (heart attack, high blood pressure etc.)
Reduced risk of metabolic disease (type 2 diabetes, obesity, fatty liver disease etc.)
Reduced risk of cancer
Reduced risk of depression
Reduced risk of muscle and joint diseases
If you, like me, don’t love exercise but would love to exercise regularly for its many benefits, then read on.
Here are the three changes that helped me to exercise (almost) every day whilst enjoying it.
Turn the things you do anyway into exercise:
Most of us have to go places during the day.
When we go by car, bus or tube the journey becomes quicker and we feel like we are saving time. The problem is - we then need to use that saved time to exercise on purpose later on in the day.
In my experience that extra time is magically used up before I’ve had a chance to exercise.
Therefore I’ve stopped trying to save time by getting to places quicker - instead I use the journey as my time to exercise.
I cycle, walk or run to where I’m going. It might take 20 or so minutes longer, but I’ve exercised and been outside.
Combine pleasant with unpleasant:
When we do try to carve out time to exercise it’s usually in the morning or evening - two times of the day most of us are least motivated and most tired.
Very few of us have the willpower to break through this tiredness and lack of motivation (sorry to say).
Instead combine your chosen workout with something you enjoy and look forward to. This could be an audiobook, a podcast, a show, a film, good music etc.
For example you might love chilling out on the sofa and watching your favourite show after a long day. Instead of chilling on the sofa you could watch your favourite show while doing a workout sequence you know well.
Tip: You can find many infographics online which have descriptions of a workout sequence. It might be helpful to print one so you can follow this while your TV/computer screen is busy with the show you are watching.
Lower your expectations:
Many people I know think of exercise as an hour long gym class, a 5k run or a 30 minute HIIT workout. If not something even more intensive.
These forms of activity are hard to do regularly because:
They require a lot of time
They require a change of clothes
They require a shower
They can be exhausting
They may require travel
All of these things are big obstacles to overcome each time you want to exercise.
And research shows that smaller, shorter, less intensive but more regular bouts of exercise actually have the most health benefits.
So if you’re one of those that only considers it exercise if you’ve sweated profusely for an hour, try considering the following as exercise:
Cycling to work
A walk through the park with a friend
15 minutes of stretching
Cleaning the house
Gardening
Dancing
None of these require a change of clothes, a shower or a significant change to your routine.
The key is simply to do at least one of these every day.
Summary:
Regular exercise is good for you, but it can be hard to do when your expectations are too high. Instead of aiming for a big workout session every day, incorporate small, low to moderate intensity exercise sessions and movement into your daily routine.
Consider combining the ‘unpleasant’ of exercise with something pleasant like an audiobook, podcast, a show or music.
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Links and references:
Vina, J., Sanchis‐Gomar, F., Martinez‐Bello, V. and Gomez‐Cabrera, M.C., 2012. Exercise acts as a drug; the pharmacological benefits of exercise. British journal of pharmacology, 167(1), pp.1-12.
Ruegsegger, G.N. and Booth, F.W., 2018. Health benefits of exercise. Cold Spring Harbor perspectives in medicine, 8(7), p.a029694.
In Season:
June is a great month for seasonal fruit and vegetables in the western hemisphere. You should now be able to find many fruits and vegetables locally grown and I would recommend choosing these over imported options. They will taste much better, be higher in nutrients and have a lower impact on the environment.
June is the beginning of the great courgette (zucchini) season. On it’s own courgette has a pretty mild flavour, but combined with olive oil, garlic and feta cheese they are delicious.
Try this delicious tart recipe for example.