Being Intuitive With Exercise—Part 2

I hope since last week you have been able to think about how you fit exercise into your life.  If you are making any one of the three mistakes discussed, then today I have some ways for you to reframe your thinking of exercise so that you will see it as a more positive aspect of your healthy life!

• Making Time.  One of the biggest if not the biggest excuse for people not exercise is not having time.  Even it is just 10 minutes a day you devote to some type of movement that is beneficial to the body.  If you get accustomed to making those 10 minutes work, you may start to see how you could add on more.
• Schedule it!  Just like any appointment in your schedule, make your time to exercise one that you cannot miss.  By putting it in your planner you are making it a commitment like anything else you have that day.
• Start Small.  By getting active in life in general, you start reaping the benefits of exercise.  Try some of these easy steps:

–          Park your car farther away so that you are elongating the walk to the entrance of the building

–          Take the stairs rather than the elevator.

–          Carry an extra shopping bag in each hand to simulate weights and strengthen your shoulders.

• Choose What You Love.  Exercise can be and should be fun and enjoyable.  Instead of just joining a gym, perhaps joining a sports league or exercising with your kids will make it feel like less of a negative experience as it may have in the past.
• Don’t Force Things.  Don’t feel like you have to wear a certain outfit to go to the gym or be the best one in a class you want to take.  Do what makes you happy, wear what makes you comfortable, and feel good about the fact that you are exercising.  Everyone is focused on themselves in a gym and they are not looking at what top you decided to wear, so go ahead, hop on the spin bike!
• Listen to Your Body.  Some days you might feel sick and you might be too tired to work out.  That’s OK.  Paying attention to how you feel is so important to the whole intuitive eating process.  Just remember if you miss a day, that doesn’t mean you’ve failed.  Get right back to it the following day and the missed day will be a thing of the past!

So listen to your body and make movement a part of your life.  It will be a perfect combination along with all your healthy eating and you’ll feel that much better!

Your turn to take action: Which of these tips do you think will help you overcome your difficulties to commit to exercise the most?