The Struggle With Regular Exercise, It's Real

Ever wonder how much more research on the benefits of exercise will come
out? Feel frustrated that we impress upon our society the importance of
movement but live so stressed out and busy that it feels like there's no
time? Why if we know all its wonderful benefits do we still struggle to
stay or start a routine?

No time, it's boring, I hate it, it hurts, too tired, etc are a few of the
reasons we might use to avoid exercise. So if we know, intellectually,
all the benefits, why do these excuses drive our decisions when it comes
to actually working out? Well, enter emotion and the power of our mind.

Sometimes too much information becomes overwhelming, sometimes it stirs up some
uncomfortable emotions from past activities, sometimes it feels lonely
because nobody else joins in and sometimes it really does physically
hurt. Sometimes thinking about 2 or 3 or 10 years down the road seems
too far away to really matter.

Not to mention, many of the benefits come in the form of intangible things
like better sleep, less stress, reduced risk of heart disease or
diabetes, better balance and improved bone density. What do those feel
like and look like? It's real hard to imagine or feel these for the most
part.

Okay, so what to do about this when you want to be active,
know the benefits of being active and just don't seem to do anything
about it? While I'd like to say there's some magical answer, it really
comes down to really thinking about why it's important to you and
setting a goal that's doable for YOU -- Start with 10 minutes a day and
challenge yourself to see how many consecutive days you can do
something.

Remind yourself why it's important to YOU to exercise
and go even when you don't feel like it. Know others struggle too so
know you're not alone and talk about it with others! It helps!

by Lisa Martin, owner and personal trainer at Salvere Health and Fitness. To contact her, call (410) 707-0055 or email Lisa@SalvereHealthAndFitness.com.