So your doctor has checked your blood pressure and cholesterol readings and says that you are healthy enough to start an exercise program. Oh, and by the way, you need to start one. If you haven’t exercised in a long time, this recommendation is about as welcome as a jury summons in your mailbox. We all know that exercise is important for good health but with employment, commuting, kids and keeping up the house, who has the time to manage a good fitness program? It can be done, but it won’t happen unless you buy into the necessity of it. Here are some reasons to help you convince yourself to get started:

1)         Your mind and your body need to be exercised on a regular basis to function properly.   Remember going back to school after a three month summer vacation?   Those first few weeks of lessons were hard to absorb because your mind had lost its fine edge by not being challenged much while on vacation.   Depending on your age and how long you have been out of school, it may be years since you had a steady exercise routine.   But like your school lessons, exercise will get smoother and more effective once you dust off the cobwebs.

2)       You have the time to exercise.   Most fitness experts will tell you that thirty minutes of good exercise four times a week will keep you healthy.   It’s also a great stress reliever.    Before you start listing all the reasons why you can’t break away from your routine and exercise, think about what some people do.   I’ve seen new mothers jogging and pushing their babies in strollers.   People who need to check in by phone with family and friends do so while on a long walk.   Others get up 30 minutes earlier and ride a stationary bicycle.   If you accept the need to exercise, your creative mind will determine the time and method.

3)       Exercise comes in many forms.   For the fit and social, team sports like soccer, softball and basketball can be fun.   Health clubs offer expert supervision on ways to use their gyms to get fit.   If the above choices require too much of a time commitment with practice and travel, a home gym might be the answer.   You can spend a lot of money or very little.   Just choose something that is good for you and that you want to keep doing. 

4)       Having a fit and healthy body is a huge source of confidence.   If you have ever been an athlete, you probably have experienced the heightened sense of strength and energy that comes with training.   Day-to-day chores of lifting and walking are of little consequence when you are fit.   You may find yourself getting more things done every day and feeling more energetic than ever before.   The time invested in exercise can improve the quality of your life.

5)       Expect some setbacks.   There will be sore muscles and the occasional bad day.   Be patient and keep trying while you find the right routine.   Be aware of your limitations and work with them.   The rewards should greatly outweigh the losses

6)       Finally, don’t judge your results based upon standards that you see on television.   Professional and college athletes represent far less than 1% of the population.   Chances are very unlikely that most people will ever attain the kinds of performances that these people have.   Does that mean that the rest of us shouldn’t even try?   What kind of life would that be?   You cannot control the physical and mental gifts that you were born with.   You can, however, set yourself apart by using whatever abilities you have to the maximum degree.   Think about this saying as you prepare yourself to start an exercise program:   I don’t do things that other people can’t do.   I do things that other people should do, but won’t do.

Del Vogel
July 16, 2008

for more information, visit www.healthandfitnessforyou.org

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