What tips can help me exercise lifelong?

Two effective tips I find helpful are:

• Understand why you want to make exercising or engaging in physical activity a lifelong habit.  If you don't understand why then it will be more difficult to maintain that habit over a lifetime.

AND

Have a really compelling reason behind your decision to adopt physical activity as a lifelong habit.  If the reason is something shallow like,  I want a six-pack or I want to wear a bikini that probably won't carry you for a lifetime.  If your compelling reason is that you want to maintain your independence for as long as possible, that compelling reason might motivate you to adopt engaging in physical activity as a lifelong habit much more achievable.

Hope this helps!

Here are some tips to help you make exercise a part of your lifestyle:

1. Set fitness goals that are important and attainable.  Losing 10 pounds to help lower your blood pressure by your next doctors appointment this summer is a good and reasonable goal.  Losing weight in the hopes of stealing a rival's boyfriend or girlfriend is not. 

2. Find exercises you enjoy or would like to try.  If you like what you're doing, you'll be more apt to stick with it, reaping further rewards.

3. Find a fitness buddy.  Exercising with a buddy can make the experience more fun.  Your buddy also may provide accountability, support and possible security.

4. Join a support group.  Exercise support groups such as TOPS provide members with support, rewards, resources and more.

5.  Log your progress.  A fitness log can provide you with important information.  Keep track of the exercises you do, the weights, the reps, and so on, plus weights and measurements.  Look back on this information when you feel frustrated or ready to quit to see how far you've come since starting your program. 

6. Vary your program.  Change up your program every four to six weeks to keep it fresh.  Try some new exercises to challenge your muscles.  You may also change your walking route if you exercise outside.  Or if you primarily use the stationary bike for cardio, mix it up by adding a fitness class such as step aerobics or Zumba. 

7. Exercise.  Yep, exercise can help you keep exericsing.  As you begin to see the rewards of exercise such as improved mood, better medical test results, fewer bouts with sickness, better sleep, looser clothing, and increased energy, you'll be apt to keep up your exercise routine to reap further benefits.

 

 

The best way to maintain a lifelong commitment to exercise and fitness is to continue to set specific goals that will be challenging, and fun to accomplish. This will keep workouts fresh, and fun with consistent results that will follow.

The best tip I can think of to help you exercise for the rest of your life is to choose activities and exercises that you actually like doing. Master these exercises then add variety to them with different pieces of equipment, different tempos, circuit them with exercises that you are no so fond of. For example if you enjoy running, try running hills once a week, try a slow long run once a week, plan on spending one day a week at the track doing speed intervals, and make sure you still have your short fun runs as well. This will help prevent boredom and offer the variety your body needs anyway but most importantly it will keep you dedicated and loving your results. Remember that a day of rest is just as important as your hardest day of working out. Be good to yourself, be proud of yourself. 

One of the most important tips you can follow is to see exercise as a permanent way of life.  Some individuals exercise only to achieve a goal and then discontinue.  Get into the habit of performing some form of physical activity on a daily basis.