Feel Better with Exercise

Do any of these thoughts about exercise sound familiar?
"I'm too tired to go jogging today."
 "I've got too much to do to go walking."
 "I'll just skip today—one day can't hurt."

These are the words many of us tell ourselves to avoid exercising. Eventually a day is skipped, a week goes by, and in another month you've hardly exercised at all!
 
But most of us also know what takes place in our mind after a good workout.
 
"Wow, I feel like the inside of my head was scrubbed clean."
 "I have so much energy; what can I do next?"
It's a no-brainer about which is the better group of thoughts to have. Yet the couch often rules over the treadmill. Unless you're making New Year's resolutions or getting ready for a class reunion, exercise is an area that often gets neglected.

Why Should I Exercise?

The benefits of exercising fall mostly into two categories: your body and your mind.
Studies show that either short bursts of aerobic activity or longer workouts can raise levels of important chemicals in the brain, such as endorphins, adrenaline, seratonin, and dopamine. These are the all-important chemicals that make you feel well.
 
"You get a mental boost," says Sallie Friedman, a physical therapist. "It enhances relaxation and helps you to sleep better. It's similar to what an antidepressant does."
 
"There are other less tangible perks," adds Friedman. "Most of us feel like we're always doing for others and don't have time for ourselves. If you dedicate yourself to working out and you're loyal to it, it's something you can look at and say 'I'm doing this just for me.'"
 
Statistics overwhelmingly point to ways exercise helps the body—from lowering the risk of heart attacks and strokes to preventing many forms of cancer. It helps keep your bones and joints in working order and keeps back problems away.
 
For the elderly, whose bones lose density, exercise is important as a way to keep bones strong, beating the fragile bone problems that often cause broken hips, stooped shoulders and osteoporosis. Weight bearing exercises such as walking, tennis and strength training put stress on the bones, causing them to build up.
 
For men, often at great risk of heart disease, exercise keeps the blood flowing strongly, reduces the buildup of plaque in the arteries, and increases the feeling of well being.
Women, who lose estrogen increasingly with the onset of menopause, can combat bone loss, depression, breast cancer and more with exercise.

Finding the Motivation to Exercise

"Whenever I feel like exercise I lie down until the feeling passes."
—Robert M. Hutchins
We can all relate to that! If you've been working all week, chasing children or whatever else you do on a daily basis, how is it remotely possible to go outside to walk around the neighborhood?
 
The hardest part about exercising is getting started. Most people think that if they sit around long enough, the desire to exercise will suddenly come. Unfortunately, that doesn't happen often, which is why most of America is overweight. You need to motivate yourself. It's not that hard. The first few weeks may be tough, but once you get over that hump and make exercising a habit, getting fit will be a breeze.
 
Here are a few steps to get you started.
  1. What do you enjoy? Think about your personality: Are you an extrovert who loves group activities or an introvert who needs time alone to recharge your batteries? Or you may be an introvert who wants to socialize more or an extrovert who needs some time alone. Mull over the types of sports that are out there and imagine doing one. Did you love basketball in high school? Is getting a runner's high a high for you? Get the picture?

  2. Set a few attainable goals. People love working to accomplish something. If you have a goal, it'll probably make exercising easier.

  3. Start simple, but start! Success breeds success.

  4. Find some buddies. Even if you prefer to exercise alone, it's a good idea to commit to your plan with a friend or spouse. Or you may find a neighbor or coworker who wants to be your workout buddy.

Design Your Own Exercise Program

The most important characteristic of an effective workout program is balance.
Active Participation: If you've decided that you want to be entertained while you exercise, you might try team sports; volleyball, basketball, badminton and tennis all guarantee good workouts. The problem, of course, is that team sports require a team, and it's unlikely you'll find a group willing to get together more than once a week. Lazy bums!
 
Some solo sports can be done alone or with a friend. Bicycle riding, swimming, walking, and jogging can all be boring after a while, but if you have a friend with you, the miles will fly by as you talk about your day. Don't forget to stretch before starting out.
 
Skiing and snowboarding are great ways to exercise while having fun. Yoga and tai chi are also popular with people trying to get in shape.
 
Going to the Gym: According to physical therapist Sallie Friedman, your best approach is to combine a cardiovascular workout with strength training. For example, a 20 to 30 minute stint on the stair-climbing machine could take place before a round of weight training. To provide their clientele with variety, many gyms offer swimming, aerobics classes, and treadmills.
 
All health clubs have professional trainers who can help you establish a routine of weight (strength) training. The point is to lift weights for your problem areas and also to work on all the muscle groups, from crunches for your abdominal muscles, to the squatting machine for your hips and thighs.
 
Staying Home: Exercising doesn't have to take place at the gym. With a little creativity, you can create an exercise program to fit with your daily activities.
 
Gayla is a single mother who works 30 hours a week and takes university classes two evenings a week. Not only can't she afford a health club membership, but she certainly can't afford to hire a sitter while she goes running in the park.
 
But Gayla has a plan (she wrote it out last New Year's Day and has mostly stuck to it). First she made a list of "Aerobic" and "Strength" activities. She wrote down all she could think of that was available to her at home and with her kids around. Then she crossed out all those that she found boring. From the list that was left, she picked her favorites in each column, vowing to exercise four times a week, but doing something different on each day. Her list appears below.
 

Day

Aerobic

Strength

Mondays

Walk to Laundromat and back (2 miles)

Each Day:

  • lift home-made weights (made from plastic bottles and bags filled with sand and rice)
  • slow squats and deep knee bends
  • modified push-ups and sit-ups

Wednesdays

Ride bicycle to work (7 miles each way)

Fridays

Walk to park at lunchtime (1.5 miles each way)

Sundays

Walk to park at lunchtime (1.7 miles each way)

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