It’s hard to like exercise, let alone love it. Let’s face it: gulping down a supplement is far simpler. As important and effective as supplements may be when it comes to helping prevent chronic disease, exercise wins by a landslide. You may be fully aware of all the health benefits. What’s stopping you, though?
If you’re harboring negative feelings toward exercise, it’s time to give exercise a second chance. Everyone has their personal experiences, struggles, and achievements when it comes to physical activity. Considering the widespread lack of exercise in our nation, there may be more struggles than achievements. Read on to find out 4 ways you can transform your struggles into victories and learn to love exercise:
1. “The secret of getting ahead is getting started.” (Agatha Christie)
You need a reasonable amount of exercise for good health. Choose a few days during your week and work your way up to 5 or 6 days of exercise. Don’t expect your routine to look the same next year or even next month. You may need to make a few changes until you find what works right for you. Exercise for at least 30 minutes. On certain days, work your way up to 45 minutes to an hour to burn more fat. View the time slots you’ve selected for exercise as an appointment with your body and health. Honor the appointments!
2. If certain exercises feel like torture, it may not be your fault. After all, the first treadmill was engineered to reform and punish prisoners. Remember, though, as boring and as unpopular as it may be, exercise is not the enemy. Once you’re familiar enough with the movements for certain exercises, try to multi-task. Find something entertaining to listen to or learn. A book, an audiobook, an audio course, an album, a recorded concert, or a comedy skit.
3. Timing, timing, timing!
It’s a great advantage if you can exercise first thing in the morning, especially if you’re a “let’s get this over with” kind of person. There are less distractions to stumble you from exercising. You’ll see and feel the results much faster, including higher energy levels and better sleep. A research study published in the journal Sleep found that morning-exercisers slept better than evening exercisers.
The link between hormones involved in appetite, sleep, and exercise is much more balanced and harmonious. In fact, mornings are when insulin levels are the lowest, allowing for more fat burning. If morning exercise doesn’t work with your life, remember any time is better than no time.
4. Find a buddy to exercise with or report to. They can prove to be a major source of help, acting as a human conscience that will bother you when you choose to neglect your exercise routine.
