To help you regain your willpower and safely ease back into daily exercise, we’ve pulled together a few suggestions.
- Talk with Your Physician: If you’ve been sedentary for any length of time, it is best to talk with your physician before you begin a new exercise program. Share your goals and what type of workout you are considering. He or she may give you their approval or make a recommendation for a program they feel is better suited for your level of fitness.
- Start Small: When you are first getting started, be realistic in setting your goals. If you start small, such as walking 15 minutes each day, you may be more inclined to stick with it. As you find yourself becoming more dedicated to your physical fitness program again, you can expand your routine. It might be by walking further, taking up chair yoga or by adding strength training exercises three days a week.
- Schedule Fitness Time: Block out a time to work out each day on your calendar and write your goal in ink. Having a specific time committed to exercise is a much better motivator than telling yourself you will walk “in the morning sometime.”
- Measure Progress: Recording your progress is another good way to help you stay on track. Don’t make weight loss the only change you measure. It can also help to record any improvements you are feeling such as more energy and better sleep. Both are benefits of regular exercise.
- Reward Yourself: It might also help to reward your progress. That new pair of shoes that you have been wanting but feel guilty about spending the money on might be a good reward for meeting your 60- or 90-day fitness goal.
If you need ideas for older adult-friendly fitness activities, this resource created by the experts at the National Institute on Aging identifies four types of exercises and explains how they can benefit you.
Source: National Institute on Aging
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