|
Can’t.....I Have an Appointment with Exercise.
We talked recently about beginning a food diary for the new year. Just as important as writing down the food you eat is writing down your exercise times. You would never miss an important meeting at work if it was on your schedule and your exercise is certainly an important part of your life.
I schedule my hair appointments on Tuesday afternoons once a month and my schedule is written in my daytimer for the entire year. I hardly ever have to change an appointment because it is important for me to stay a redhead and I work my schedule around it. I schedule my dentist on Wednesday afternoons every three months and....guess what.....yep, they are scheduled for an entire year. My chiropractor is on Thursday afternoons, every three months. By keeping those appointment on those days and trying to really stick to that schedule, very little interferes with the appointments that are important in my life. Since I workout and do cardio in the wee early morning hours of my day, not too many appointments ever interfere with that schedule.
The reason I have a job is because people know that they will not exercise on their own. They need the accountability and someone actually waiting so that there are no excuses about putting it off or ‘doing it tomorrow’. Sometimes tomorrow never comes. Besides, if you are paying for that scheduled appointment, you are going to think twice about cancelling it and losing that money.
The actual workouts are the easy part of scheduling. Write them on your calendar or daytimer and schedule all other appointments around them. If you workout before work, make sure it is on your schedule. Don’t plan any early morning breakfast meetings during that time. The same goes for a lunch time workout. If you usually head straight for the gym after work, keep those after work drinks or dinners on another day of the week. Simple! If it was so simple everyone would do it.....right?
It is the cardiovascular activity that seems to ruin all of those well meant plans. Just like the workouts, the cardio activity must become a part of your regular scheduling and planning. Chances are, the cardio activities won’t be done with a trainer but you must create ways to keep it interesting and not boring. Boring will cause you to stop faster than any other reason....uh, excuse.
If you need someone to be accountable too, recruit a friend to do it with you. Whether it is in the gym on the treadmills, taking a class or just going for a jog, a buddy will keep you from missing out even when you really, really want too. Support is a good thing. If you have had a bad day at work and really want to go home and pull the covers up over your head, knowing that friend is waiting and will be willing to listen will be motivation to keep that appointment.
If you like to do cardio activity alone, try listening to a book on tape while you walk or jog. In the gym or at home, watch your favorite TV program or a movie while walking, riding or doing the elliptical. In the gym, you may not have as much control if the cardio equipment does not have individual televisions. But you could look at a magazine, read a book or listen to your iPod. On days when there is just no time for a regular cardiovascular session, do things that will still keep you motivated. Show up early for an appointment and walk past the building several times before going in. Take the stairs. Walk the dog longer. Park the car further away from work or the mall entrance. Those shorter activities will add up in the long run.....pun intended.
It has been said that ‘21 times forms a habit and it only take 3 times of missing to break that habit. If you try to do quality cardiovascular activity for 6 months, you will not want to return to being a couch potato. Even if you have to stop for a short period, your body will want to come back to it because it is ingrained into your lifestyle and you will long for that routine again.
If you become bored easily with the same exercise routines, vary them. Mix and match as much as you like. Jog or walk, swim, cycle, take classes. You can do as many different type of exercises as you like and there will be no time to get bored.
If walking outside is your favorite activity, change the route. There is a big, beautiful world out there and you can cover as many different routes as you feel compelled to do.
Reward yourself once in a while. Try to use a nonfood reward such as going to a movie, having a massage, whatever strikes your fancy.
The point is that we are approaching a new year and it is time to get that daytimer tuned into your new lifestyle. Scheduling is important. Sticking to that schedule is important. Being creative with your activities is important so that they will work in your life.
Check your schedule daily. We don’t want you to miss any exercise sessions. We sure don’t want you to miss any work appointments either!
| 
