Why is it so difficult to “make” yourself move?

Sometimes it is nearly impossible to think about getting up off that couch and get moving.

Most of the time when we think of exercise or doing something healthy we envision sweating profusely, breathing uncomfortably and carrying out some kind of torturous drill for what seems like hours at a time.

This could be no further from the truth.  For those who are used to being sedentary, beginning to be more active should be easy, fun and rewarding.  And it’s paramount to keeping away unhealthy diseases such as hypertension, Type II diabetes, heart disease, cancer and more.

Here are some easy ideas to help put your life in motion and begin to improve your health for a lifetime of independent, wholesome living.

1.   Take Baby Steps

Tell yourself you only need to do something for a couple of minutes.  Walk out the front door to the end of your drive and back.  Usually, by the time you reach the end of the drive, you will feel like turning the short jaunt into a little longer one.  And even if you don’t, the small commitment you’ve made is much easier to adhere to than thinking you have to slave away in the gym or do something you despise for hours at a time.  It’s not such a daunting task and only takes a commercial break to finish.  🙂

2.  Do Something You Enjoy

The word exercise conjures all kinds of unpleasant thoughts.  Being active shouldn’t be drudgery.  The fall season is a perfect time to explore the changing colors.  Walk through the neighborhood, bike on the nearby trails.  If the weather isn’t conducive to outdoor activity, turn on your favorite music and get those “moves like Jagger” going.  Call a friend or neighbor and arrange to meet at the mall to do a few laps while you catch up on the latest news with each other.

3.  Turn Chores into Healthy Activity

You know you have to vacuum the carpet, mop the floors, do the laundry, wash the dishes, cook the meals, etc.  Why not make the most of those every day chores by picking up the pace and moving through each one with determination and purpose.  See how efficiently and quickly you can accomplish your job.  Make a game out of it.  Not only will you finish sooner, your positive attitude will give you a different outlook on doing those chores.

4.  Commit to Consistency

When you decide to become active, the most important aspect to success is being consistent.  Do what you need to do to set aside a minimum of 10 minutes a day to carry out some kind of activity that keeps your body moving.  After a week of these 10 minute “appointments” you will have already increased your activity level by 70 minutes.  A very realistic, easy-to-reach goal.

5.  Repeat Daily Positive Affirmations

Making your mind up to stay positive makes the process of becoming active much easier to achieve.  Repeated affirmations such as “I am now active and it’s fun, easy and physically rewarding.” will help you realize  the enjoyment of doing something healthy and rewarding for yourself.  Affirmations should be repeated over and over every day and are key to driving you to success in any component of your life.

It shouldn’t be something to dread when you think of beginning a life of activity.  With these simple steps in mind, start putting your plan together today to feel better, move easier, be confident and live comfortably.

For more guidance on how to start an active lifestyle, contact a personal trainer.  For those who live in the East Valley of Phoenix, Arizona you can call Julia Johnson of Life in Motion, LLC at LifeInMotionFitness.com 480.264.9567.