Habit 4: Get Active!

I was a skinny kid.  I’m not sure if was because my metabolism was awesome or if I was just hyperactive.  Maybe a little of both.  My mother rarely let me watch TV, though that didn’t bother me much, since we only had 2 channels and there was never anything good on.  I spent most of my days outside and rarely ran out of fun stuff to do—climbing trees, turning cartwheels, building forts, playing tag, swimming, tether ball, shuffleboard.  As I got older I stopped climbing trees, but I started taking dance class, gymnastics, and swimming lessons.  During my high school years I remained active through cheer-leading, dance-line, and softball.  I gained a little weight, but still considered myself in good shape. 

Then I went off to college and the most physical thing I accomplished was walking from point A to point B.  After college I was even less active.  My first job required sitting at a desk all day, 40 hours a week.  It’s not hard to imagine what happened to my body, (especially when you count up all the 20-ounce Cokes I drank from the downstairs vending machine). 

By the time I decided to do something about it, even walking felt like a burden.  I’ve tried off and on to regain my former physique, but it’s usually short-lived.  I look at exercise as one more unpleasant thing to shove into my already packed schedule.  Now if it were something I enjoyed, like reading a book or eating cheesecake, I’m sure I would find time to squeeze it in somewhere.  Unfortunately for me, exercise is about as fun as going to the dentist (no offense my dentist friends).  It’s painful.  I just don’t like doing it.

I’m no fitness guru.  I’m not speaking to you as someone who has mastered this.  In fact, I struggle with this habit more than anything else.  That's why I chose this topic.  There are so many good reasons for getting into shape.  Here are the top 7 benefits of regular physical activity, according to  MayoClinic.com:

• Exercise controls weight
• Exercise combats health conditions and disease
• Exercise improves mood 
• Exercise boosts energy 
• Exercise promotes better sleep
• Exercise puts the spark back into your sex life 
• Exercise can be fun 

No surprises for me in that list, (except perhaps the part about exercise being fun). Even though I know about the benefits I still find a thousand excuses for NOT exercising.  If I do happen to dredge up enough motivation (see habit #2) to start a fitness plan, I have trouble staying with it beyond the first couple of weeks.  Do you have this problem too?

Exercise is like shopping for shoes…you have to try on a bunch before you find the one that really fits you and doesn’t leave you with blisters or a sore back.  You also have to wear them for awhile to really break them it.  Until then, you just have to put up with a little discomfort.  

Exercise is like car shopping.  It’s helpful if you do a little background research and know what you want before you walk in the store.  There’s usually some bargaining and haggling involved.  

Exercise can be like online dating sites.  You are more likely to find long-term success if you take the time to explore your personality to find a compatible match.

Not everyone is meant to be a distance runner.  Not everyone is meant for Zumba.  Not everyone is meant to be a rock climber or power lifter.  Don’t get discouraged.  Maybe you just haven’t found your perfect match.  

Your Challenge:

This week’s healthy habit is to find your body’s “soul-mate” activity.   Your goal is to discover a form of exercise that works for you.  Something you connect with.  Something you can stick with.  Once you’ve found it, start doing it.  Try for 30 minutes a day at least 3 to 5 days per week.  Granted, this process may take longer than a week.  It might take a whole year for that matter.  Don’t let that thought deter you from getting started.  Every day we put it off is another day of unhealthiness. 

No idea where to start?  Take an inventory of your strengths, weaknesses, and personal preferences to help you find the right fit to get fit. 

Sarah’s "Exercise Compatibility" Assessment

Think back to your childhood (or teenage years or whenever you felt you were at your peak physical condition) and then answer the following questions.  

1.    What activities did you participate in then that contributed to your overall fitness level?

2.    What did you enjoy about those activities or what motivated you to do them?

3.    What, if anything, did you dislike about those activities?

Now think about your current lifestyle and answer the following questions.

1.    Are there any obstacles or challenges that stand in the way of getting physically fit?

2.    What top 3 excuses do you usually use to get out of exercising?

3.    What are your own personal reasons for wanting to be physically fit?

Look at the pairings below.  Take a piece of paper and write down the one that best describes you now.

Prefer being indoors               versus             Prefer being outdoors

Tend to be introverted             versus             Tend to be extroverted

Prefer individual sports           versus             Prefer team sports

Tend to be competitive           versus             Tend to be non-competitive

Prefer doing cardio                 versus             Prefer doing weights or resistance training

Adrenaline junkie                    versus             Scaredy cat

Overly packed schedule         versus             A few chunks of free time

Have some money to invest   versus             Little to no money to invest

Have room for equipment      versus             Little to no room to store bulky equipment

Okay.  Now let’s assess your answers.  

Below are the original questions followed by another question in red.  Consider the answers you wrote down and then answer the questions in red.  I've included my answers to give you an example.

1.    What activities did you participate in then that contributed to your overall fitness level?

Looking at your answers, are there ways you can incorporate those activities into your fitness routine now? 

The activities I wrote down were gymnastics, cheerleading, dancing, and softball.  How can I tie those into my life now?  There might be dance classes available in my area, such as ballroom dancing, or at the very least I could get workout DVDs that are dance-based.  For softball, there are summer recreational leagues available in most places.  Maybe just going to a batting cage once a week or playing catch with my kids would be fun.  Chances are, if you really enjoyed it when you were young, you will probably still enjoy it as an adult.  At least it’s a good place to start.  Set some time aside to research your community and find out if any of the activities you listed are available to you (in some form or another).  Keep your eyes open and don’t be afraid to ask around.

2.    What did you enjoy about those activities or what motivated you to do them?  Can you incorporate the parts you enjoyed into your current workouts?

I enjoyed the personal challenges involved with gymnastics.  I liked stretching the limits of my body in order to achieve the next level.  I could use that to my advantage now by keeping track of my progress and making a game out of trying to surpass my own personal bests.  For dance, I loved the moving to the music.  That one is easy.  Having music playing at home naturally inspires me to move more.   I can’t help but dance to my favorite songs.  In the other sports I listed, I enjoyed the more social aspects like building friendships with my other teammates.  Perhaps that means I would stay more motivated in the long run if I worked out with friends.  Take your list and brainstorm ideas of how you might incorporate those qualities into your current fitness.

3.    What, if anything, did you dislike about those activities?  What can you learn from your answers?

Danceline started at 6:30 am, which meant I had to leave my house by 6, which meant I had to wake up long before my brain was engaged.  Let me state for the record that I am not a morning person.  My energy levels have always been lowest during the first few hours of the day.  I really loved Dance, but having to do it at O-dark-thirty was a huge challenge for me.  If it’s that hard for me to get out of bed to do something I really love, it’s gonna be darn-near impossible to get my butt out of bed for something I don’t really want to do at all!  That would be setting myself up for failure.  From that experience I learned a very important fitness lesson.  I need to plan my workouts later in the day when my energy levels are higher.  Whatever aspects you remember disliking from your fitness-past are probably the very same things that will trip you up now.  Do you best to identify those things and either remove those obstacles or find ways to work around them.  Write them down.

Now think about your current lifestyle and answer the following questions.

1.    Are there any obstacles or challenges that stand in the way of getting physically fit?  Once you have your list, scrutinize them.  What can you do to remove those obstacles or counter those challenges? 

Heck yeah I have obstacles.  I’ve got three kids.  That means I can’t just go out jogging whenever the mood strikes me.  I would have to take them with me or plan my excursion for later when my husband gets home.  This is a strong deterrent for me. Inevitably, when my husband comes home, I’m no longer interested in jogging.  I’m cooking dinner, helping with homework, writing a blog, too tired, or just plain not in the mood.  This requires a work-around.  Maybe that’s letting the kids ride their bikes while I jog alongside them.  Maybe that’s doing a workout DVD at home instead.  If you plan in advance how you’ll respond to your obstacles, you might respond in a healthier way the next time that situation arises.  Have a plan prepared for each obstacle or challenge you listed.

2.    What top 3 excuses do you usually give to get out of exercising?  Dismantle them. 

My top excuse was “I don’t have time.”  I admit it…that is a ridiculous excuse.  Yes, my schedule is overly packed.  I must also acknowledge that I created this circumstance by saying “yes” to more things than I should ever commit to do.  Yet, even on my busiest days, I can surely find 15 minutes to benefit my health.  Maybe that means only taking10 minutes to get ready instead of 30.  Maybe that means taking a shorter lunch or cutting back on Facebook time.  The truth is…I always find time to do the things that are important to me.  That means my choice to avoid exercise really has nothing to do with lack of time and everything to do with lack of priorities.  Being fit is simply not important enough to me; otherwise I would make it a bigger priority.  Here's the reality…Every excuse masks a painful truth.  Tackle those excuses one by one.  Expose the underlying painful truth, and correct it.

3.    What are your own personal reasons for wanting to be physically fit?  How can you turn those reasons into motivation? 

My kids are getting to the age where they are starting to participate in team sports.  They want to practice at home with me.  They want to play catch or kick around a soccer ball in the back yard.  I want to enjoy these kinds of activities with my kids, but I can’t if I’m totally out of shape.  It’s winter now, so we are inside a lot more.  I bought some of those “Just Dance” games for the Wii.  My kids love doing those and they are fun to do together as a family.  It feels like playtime, not work, which helps me stay engaged.  Whatever reasons you have for wanting to get fit, make them an integral part of your fitness program.   

Now onto those pairings of opposites…

Indoor vs. Outdoor

Bad weather is my favorite go-to excuse for skipping a planned activity.  I think, “would you look at that…it’s raining today.  I guess I can’t go running.  Total bummer.  I was SO looking forward to it.”  Totally sarcastic, of course.  The weather provides nearly an unlimited amount of plausible justifications.  Too cold, too hot, too windy, too calm, too wet, too dry, too sunny, too cloudy…and so on and so forth ad nauseum.  

However, whatever you were planning to do outside probably has an indoor equivalent.  This isn’t true in every case, but there’s a lot of crossover.  Like to ice-skate but no ice?  Try rollerblading at an indoor roller-skating rink.  Enjoy biking but it’s the wrong season?  Try a stationary bike.  Similarly, if indoor sports seem boring or repetitious, try them outside.  Take a yoga class outside in the park instead of indoors.  Instead of swimming laps in the pool, try snorkeling or scuba diving in a lake.  

Having a preference for staying inside or for going outside doesn’t have to limit your possibilities or dictate your fitness level.  No more excuses!

    

Introverted vs. Extroverted

This ties in a little bit with individual vs. team sports to some extent.  Although it is entirely possible to be introverted and still enjoy team sports, just as it is possible to be extroverted and prefer individual sports.  According to TeachPE.com, introverts tend to like sports which require concentration, precision, self-motivation, intricate skills, low arousal levels, and individual performances.  For example, archery, golf, and snooker.  Extroverts prefer sports which are exciting, team related, fast-paced, have high arousal levels, and involve large simple motor skills and low concentration.  Examples are rugby and boxing.  Extroverts tend to choose more aggressive sports as well, either indirectly (aggression towards a ball) or directly (aggression directed towards an opposing player).  

If you are introverted, try running, rollerblading, swimming, hiking, rock-climbing, yoga, or biking.  If you do choose something that might be dangerous, such as hiking or rock-climbing, be sure to let someone know where you will be and when you plan to return.  Always bring an emergency kit and some basic provisions with you, and stay on top of weather advisories.  I mention this because of a tragic story I know about a man and his two young sons who went out hiking.  The weather took a turn for the worst and they got lost.  They weren’t prepared for the dramatic drop in temperature and they never made it home again.  Stories like this break my heart, so please take extra precautions if you intend to go out alone.

If you are extroverted, try taking a class at a local gym or through a community program.  Gather up a few friends to go with you.  You are more energized by the social aspects, so pick activities that are popular, well attended, and fun to do as a group.

Individual vs. Team Sports

If you prefer individual sports you might not click with a Zumba class or joining the curling club.  If being on a team or working out in a group is not your thing, no sweat.  There are tons of things you can do that don’t involve large groups of people.  Wikipedia lists a whole page of them here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Individual_sports  Not all of these qualify as physical exercise per se (like chess).  Some of them I’ve never heard of, but they sound interesting.  Try something new.  

The immediate drawback of individual sports is the lack of an accountability partner.  I’ve already established in previous posts that having an accountability partner greatly contributes to the long-term success of any goal.  However, just because you prefer individual sports doesn’t mean you have to work towards your fitness goals alone.  Find a friend to participate with you or alongside you.  At the bare minimum, find an accountability partner to report back to.  If there’s no one holding you accountable, it’s a lot easier to just push snooze and skip your workout time.  Unless you have a strong drive and excellent self-discipline, this could be a large hurdle to jump.  Get yourself an accountability partner.

Team sports have the added advantage of a built in support network and a feeling of community.  Team players usually have to show up on a regular basis for practices and/or games.  When I have been part of a team, I show up even when I don’t really feel like it, because I don’t want to let down the team.  This provides automatic motivation for me.   Wiki has a page dedicated to team sports if you are looking for something new to try: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Team_sports

Competitive vs. Non-competitive

If you are a competitive person, make a game or contest out of whatever you do.  Even if you are working out at home, challenge yourself.  See how many sit-ups you can do in 60 seconds.  Next week try to beat your previous time or do more in the same amount of time.  My uncle and my cousin challenged each other by creating a contest to see who could lose weight and keep it off for a specified amount of time.  Wanting to be the winner helped motivate them towards goals they already had as individuals.  If you find yourself getting bored, then raise the stakes.  If you have trouble finding new challenges to try, here’s an awesome site I stumbled upon that contains more than 30,000 fitness challenges! 

If you are not competitive, you’ll want to shy away from anything that puts a lot of emphasis on winning, the end result, or where there are a lot of other people competing around you.  That might turn you off or leave you feeling stressed out.  Instead, try to focus on other benefits for exercising, such as stress relief or having more energy.  If you love team sports but don’t enjoy the competitive aspects, you might be able to find a recreational team where the players don’t really care whether they win or lose; they just want to have fun playing the sport.  It might take a little more persistence to find groups teams like that, but they do exist.

 

Cardio vs. Weights & Resistance

Most of us probably have a preference for one of these over the other.  I would pick weights any day of the week over a cardio workout, because when I do cardio I can’t breathe.  I feel like I’m either going to suffocate or hyperventilate.  Unfortunately, this is one of those categories that you can’t pick and choose one over the other.  You need both.  Your heart health depends on cardio workouts.  Your bone density and muscle toning rely on strength training and weights.  Incorporate a little of both into your schedule, whether you like it or not. 

   

Adrenaline Junkie vs. Scaredy Cat

There’s something to be said about stretching the boundaries of your normal comfort zone.  That’s a healthy way to grow and adapt, (although that doesn’t mean you have to do something completely against your nature, or do things in an unsafe manner).  On our 15th wedding anniversary, we visited a cenote in Mexico, which is basically a pool at the bottom of a pit.  Underground rivers run between layers of limestone and sometimes the limestone above collapses, creating a sinkhole.  This one required walking down 95 steps to reach the water level.  There was a platform about 12 or 13 feet above the surface of the water, where you could jump into the pool.  It didn’t look very high until I got up there.  I’ve never been afraid of heights, but for some reason my stomach was in a giant knot just thinking about jumping so far down into the dark water.  My head said it was safe.  It wasn’t that high.  It wasn’t like I was landing on concrete.  It’s just water.  Yet, I stood there for at least 5 minutes watching dozens of other people take the plunge.  If it felt horrible, there wouldn’t be so many other people doing it, right?  I convinced myself to try it, just once.  I still had knots in my stomach, but I did it…I jumped in feet first.  

You know that feeling you get in a roller coaster when your stomach drops out.  Imagine that, but imagine your body in free-fall, not strapped in with a 5-point harness.  I can’t say that I enjoyed the tug of gravity, yet I climbed the platform to do it again.  This time I tried diving in head-first.  That felt surprisingly more natural.  There was no stomach-dropping-out feeling associated with the dive.  Swimming in the cenote itself was beautiful and exhilarating, almost a spiritual experience for me.  I still can’t say I totally loved the free-fall part.  That tells me I probably won’t enjoy sky-diving, base jumping, bungee jumping, rock-climbing, or anything else that includes jumping or falling from a great height, (or the potential to do so).  There’s a tiny part of me that wonders if I’m missing out on something wonderful, and for that reason I am prone to try stuff like this at least once.  If you are the type that doesn’t even want to try it, that’s okay.  There’s nothing wrong with you.  You are listening to the voice of reason inside you—your self-preservation instinct.  Make peace with it.  You’ll probably live a lot longer than me.  

I was going to write a nice long paragraph for those adrenaline junkies out there, but they probably aren’t reading this post anyway.  I may be making a big assumption here, but most sensation-seekers aren’t sitting around watching TV or reading incredibly long blog posts.  They don’t usually have trouble finding athletic stuff to do and they are generally pretty fit.  Maybe I need to friend a few of those people to befriend…maybe they’ll drag me away from my computer and out the door to go on some heart-pumping, athletic adventure...

Packed schedule vs. chunks of free time

Even if you have a full schedule, there are probably tiny chunks of free time that can be carved out of your day.  Rather than trying to set aside a large block of time for exercise, work it into your existing schedule by changing the way you do what you already do.  You’ve probably heard to park your car farther away from the door while shopping or to take the stairs instead of the elevator.  Those don’t require a huge time commitment, but they can still add up to big results.  When you visit the mall, spend 15 minutes walking laps first and then go shopping.  If you have a baby, instead of rocking them in a rocking chair, stand up and hold them while you do side lunges back and forth.  While using the computer, try sitting on an inflatable ball instead of a regular chair.  You’ll improve your core and tone your legs at the same time just keeping the ball in a stable position.  Whatever you do during the day, ask yourself how you could modify it slightly to move more.

If you are lucky enough to have some extra free time, maybe the hard thing is finding the discipline to use that time wisely.  I noticed something strange recently about my calendar.  On the days I have meetings, appointments, or errands scheduled I tend to get more accomplished.  The days I have nothing written down are my most unproductive.  I sit down with my coffee and get on Facebook or Pinterest.  An hour and a half goes by before I notice my coffee is gone.  I can find a thousand things to distract me when there’s no agenda.  There’s nothing wrong with building in some down-time, but find a balance.  Make exercise a part of your schedule.  Actually write it on your calendar like any other appointment.  Use those unclaimed chunks of time to benefit your health.

    

Money vs. No Money

Obviously, having a little cash in your pocket is going to open the door to some wonderful fitness opportunities.  Skiing, snowboarding, golf, polo, mountain climbing…these things require expensive equipment or admission fees that make them inaccessible to some people.  That doesn’t make the lack of funds a valid excuse for sitting around on your bum all day.  Here are some low-cost (or no cost) things you can do to stay fit:

 

• Use your own body as resistance.  
•  Use objects from around your house, such as soup cans instead of hand weights, or a belt or scarf instead of an exercise strap (use common sense where safety is concerned though)
• Take a walk or jog around your neighborhood or local park
• Find used exercise or sporting equipment and/or workout DVDs at garage sales, thrift stores, consignment shops, or online auction sites
• Most libraries have exercise DVDs you can borrow if you are afraid to invest in ones you might not like
• If you have internet access, find some exercise tutorials on YouTube.com.  Try something new, like dubstep dancing or parkour.  You never know what new thing you might encounter that changes the way you view fitness.

Roomy vs. Itty-Bitty Living Space

No room to store bulky exercise equipment?  Good news!  You don’t need anything fancy to stay fit.  Think back to elementary gym class and all the exercises your P.E. teacher had you do without any props or with very little props.  Push-ups, sit-ups, squats, planks, calf raises, etc. are all wonderful moves for toning your body without any equipment needed.  If you need a little more variety, try adding small hand weights or resistance bands.  These items are relatively inexpensive and small enough to tuck under your bed or in a drawer.  Get a few workout DVDs.  They take up practically no room (unless you collect 50 of them).  Borrow some from the library if you really want to stay minimalist.  Why not rent a bike from a bike shop and go biking once a week?  Snowboarding, skiing, ice-skating, roller-skating, bowling, and rock-climbing are some other ideas of sports where you can rent equipment rather than bringing your own.

If you have plenty of room, consider investing in one or two pieces of equipment.  Start small.  Be careful not to invest a lot of money into something that’s just going to take up space and never get used.  We have a treadmill.  My husband uses it several times a week, but I rarely touch it.  Treadmills make me feel like a hamster spinning in its wheel.  No matter how many calories it says I burned, part of me still believes I’m just not getting anywhere.  Don’t rely solely on other people's recommendations.  Try it before you buy it.  Spend some time testing similar equipment out at a gym.  If you keep going back to it at the gym and really enjoy it, you’ll probably use it at home too.

Post Your Progress and Comments Below!

Further Resources:

The Importance of Exercise:  http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/116004.php

The CDC’s List of Benefits of Physical Activity:  http://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/everyone/health/index.html

Exercise Statistics from StatisticBrain.com: http://www.statisticbrain.com/exercise-statistics/