Map Out Your Exercise Program |
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When
you take a road trip to a new and distant destination, do you just
hop on the freeway without checking your map? Or do you research the
most effective way to get to your end destination, plan out the mileage
each day, and determine when and where you'll stop? Planning an
activity-and-exercise schedule is similar to planning a road trip--you
need to figure out your end destination and plan how you'll get there.
To map out your program, start by writing your
ultimate goal at the bottom of a sheet of paper. Above that, in a line
going across the paper, write some short-term goals that can help you
get to your ultimate goal. Above each short-term goal, write a few
weekly action steps that can help you achieve your short-term goals.
This is where you will start. For example, will you walk three times a
week for 20 minutes? Will you do 15 sit-ups two days per week? Think
about how you'll incorporate these steps, as well as aerobic and
strengthening exercises, into your day-to-day activities. Next you may want to pull out
your schedule and map out some time to accomplish these goals and
action steps. When you plan a trip, it's easy to figure out the number
of hours you'll drive and spend at each destination. In your daily
living, however, you don't always map out the time you want to spend on
activities that will make you feel better and that will help you lead a
healthier life. By blocking out small segments of time in your
calendar, you make your health a priority. These appointments with
yourself are just as important as planning vacations or other daily
activities. To prevent boredom on the
trip, don't forget to vary the routine to keep it interesting.
When you were a kid, or maybe now when you're with your kids, do you
play games in the car when you're on a road trip to keep the trip
interesting? In the same way, you should try to vary your
exercise routine. If you walk all the time for your aerobic exercise,
you'll want to vary the route, sometimes walk with someone, or
alternate days of walking with days of biking. Or try a dancing,
kick-boxing, or spinning class at the health club. Variety is the spice
of life, and it helps to keep us consistent with exercise. Finally, you may want to keep track of your
exercise progress. Why is it that we log mileage for our car and get
excited about the number of miles to the gallon the car gets, but we
don't keep track of our personal progress with our goals, and we don't
celebrate milestones? Keep a journal of your exercise each week so you
can see your progress in black and white. You can even mark your
progress on a real map. Try picking a destination and track minutes as
miles or track the actual miles walked. For fun, celebrate your success
once the final destination is reached. Exercise can be like any road
trip you take—it requires planning, flexibility, and some fun and games
to keep you going. |
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