What are your plans for the day? Does it include ANY exercise?
See, we all have the same 24 hours in a day. I wonder how many people choose to use just 30 minutes of this time on doing some form of exercise.
A simple healthy habit of 30 minutes of exercise might help keep your joints more supple, keep you more active for years longer (than anyone else!) and your muscles less tight and tense. With these benefits, many people make an effort to get fit. The problem is “keeping fit”. At times, that obstacle is big enough to keep people from starting in the first place.
To get to that desired place of a “fit body” and the improved sense of well-being that brings, many believe they need to take part in a formal exercise program. There is nothing wrong with boot camp or body pump classes, but for many, those structured classes are just another obstacle.
Want the answer to the “get fit” problem if you have trouble getting to a class or sticking to a program?
Here you go . . . all you have to do is forget about “being fit” altogether. Instead, just focus on being active, which can be achieved by just getting up and getting moving.
All the benefits you desire, the ones that keep your joints supple and lungs in better shape are often just the same as keeping “active” as they are in keeping “fit”. It’s all about how you think about the activity at hand.
A big mistake people make is to wait until the moment when they feel like getting up and going to take a walk, bike ride, or even visit the gym. This is a problem because the way you feel about being active BEFORE you go is never the same as when you are finished.
I mean, have you ever gone for a walk and wished you hadn’t? I doubt if the answer is yes (unless you tripped and fell)! It’s unlikely you will ever regret doing something that involves being active and that’s because of the feel-good chemicals that are released. Endorphins naturally come when being “active” for as little as 20 minutes.
However, many people wait until they feel like getting up and going (for a walk or run) and often that feeling doesn’t come on its own. You have to make it arrive!
It’s hard to think positive thoughts about being active when you are stationary (i.e. on your couch watching TV, sitting at your computer). Change your mindset but just moving. Do something! Just get up and go even when you think you don’t feel like doing it.
A short walk around the house is often enough to encourage you to walk outside. Then you will increase your motivation to move further and for longer. So, start small and big things can happen before you know it.
I know, especially with short days when its dark before you arrive home from work, it can be hard to get fit. The goal is just to move and challenge yourself to move a little more each day. Your muscles, joints, mood, and furry companions will thank you.
