Moving more and sitting less benefits nearly everyone’s well-being. Physical activity helps people feel better, function better, and sleep better. It decreases stress, improves resilience, reduces the risk of many chronic diseases, and is even associated with decreased mortality in older adults. We also know that people want to be well. Common motives for exercise include improving or staying healthy and fit, reducing stress, feeling good, and having fun. Yet, the majority of adolescent and adult Americans are not active, and are spending more and more time in sedentary behavior. Competing priorities and time constraints, feeling tired or having no energy are common obstacles. So how does a motivated individual get started and sustain an exercise program?
Here is a one strategy to get yourself moving again.
Make a list of the 10 things you most value in life (not what you should value, but what you really do value the most) with #1 at the top of the list. It might look like this –
- Family
- Security
- Accomplishments
- Intellectual stimulation
- Health
- Friends
- Beautiful surroundings
- Fun
- Food
- Spirituality
Now make a list of ten activities where you currently spend your time, with #1 where most of your time goes. It might look like this
- Work
- Commute
- Sleep
- Life chores: shopping for groceries, paying bills, cleaning the house, etc.
- Family
- Eating
- Watching TV
- Going out with friends
- Reading
- Exercise
Examine your lists side by side, and ask yourself, Is what I am doing with my life congruent with what I value? If not, what is out of whack? Is there a way to better align my lifestyle with my values? This may mean shaking up where you spend your time.
Finding time to exercise is one of the biggest challenges many face. One way to align values with actions and “find more time” is to combine exercise with other activities. Exercise can be combined with entertainment, social activities, and even spiritual practice. In the example above, having fun doing an outdoor activity with the family in a beautiful place might be just the ticket. There are lots of ways to be active. It doesn’t have to mean going to the gym. Yoga and TaiChi practices are especially good at reducing stress, and might reduce the desire/need to spend time watching TV. Sports are a great way to combine exercise with socializing. You get the idea.
The U.S. physical activity guidelines recommend that adults do at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity, or 75 minutes vigorous-intensity, aerobic physical activity a week. That’s just 10-20 minutes a day! Muscle-strengthening activities are also recommended. Children and adolescents should do an hour or more of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity daily. The demands and stresses of school or work can make even these modest recommendations a challenge, and many individuals have histories of repeated failure. Implementing and maintaining an active lifestyle may require new life skills, and confidence in those skills. Sorting through what is holding you back, exploring the circumstances that could lead to a success, and taking steps forward can be a daunting process on your own. Fortunately Health Coaches are there to help you find a way. If you or your patient are having trouble implementing or maintaining an active lifestyle, start working with a Health Coach. It could move you from surviving to flourishing!