You’ve probably heard that, like consistent tooth brushing and regularly sleeping 7-9 hours each night, you also need to exercise on a regular basis in order to keep yourself functioning properly.
What do you do to exercise?
I enjoy variety, so depending on the day I might be cycling or boxing or dancing or going for a walk. When I think back to being the fat kid that always got picked last in P.E. class, I remember having mostly negative associations with exercise. I remember dreading Physical Education class in elementary school, because I’d have to run or attempt pull-ups or do something else I wasn’t strong enough for, so it hurt and I felt embarrassed and ashamed. With this background, to imagine how thrilled I am today to have discovered (through years of exploration) that there are so many fun ways to exercise that suit me! I’m eternally grateful that I’ve found a love for movement because I know many people haven’t yet found joyful ways to move their bodies. It has been a pursuit of mine for as long as I can remember to help people find joy in movement, because I know how great it is and because I know not everyone has found it yet. And because I know so many people don’t even believe it is possible to enjoy moving their bodies. If this is you, take some time with the following questions- either talking through or writing about your reactions.
When was the last time you were moving your body and having a GREAT time doing it?
Who was there? Where were you? What were you wearing? How hot/cold was it?
Would you do this activity again?
Regularly?
One important element in having not only a healthy relationship with your body, but also (conveniently) a healthy body is knowing how you like to move.
Being sedentary is associated with all kinds of mental, emotional, and physical problems and discomforts. And, you are not only just avoiding bad stuff that happens when you don’t use your body. You are also developing a relationship with movement that FEELS VERY GOOD. If you haven’t taken the time to to discover this truth, it doesn’t mean it isn’t true for you. It means your body and your mind haven’t found it out yet. Trust me- the body produces so many chemicals that improve your immune system, your physical strength and your mood when you increase your heart rate and move your body- it’s not a matter of whether you are “that kind of a person” or not. Every body needs movement, daily.
Using the following (in-exhaustive) list, write down any that you have done before and enjoyed AND any that you’ve not yet tried and would like to try.
(Don’t get hung up on whether or not you COULD try them, whether you have access or resources… Just pick out which you’ve either enjoyed before or would like to try. Be open-minded- this is brainstorming. No need to edit at this point!)
walking
gardening/yard work/landscaping
tap dancing
martial arts (karate, tai kwon do, tai chi, etc)
hula hooping
blues or swing dancing
jogging
Pilates
weightlifting
sprinting
cycling
wrestling
pole dancing
kickboxing
swimming
sparing
salsa (Mambo, Merengue, Rumba, etc)
skiing
paddle boarding
horseback riding
trail running
snowboarding
water aerobics
tennis
team sports (softball, basket ball, kickball, etc)
kettle bells
skateboarding
roller blading
canoeing
jump roping
indoor rowing
trampolining
rock climbing
ice skating
hiking
Now that you have some new and/or enjoyable physical activities in mind, choose one or two that you can easily do in the next week. Choose one or two activities to try in the next 7 days. If your schedule is tight, which can you find time for within the next 3 weeks?
You may need to do some googling or asking around for some of these activities, if they are new or you haven’t done them in awhile. I’ve linked to resources for some of the listed activities, but a quick google search will show you ways you can try activities that are new to you: in a local class, or with private instruction, or on your own at home. Once you’ve identified one or two that you can try (not master, not spend an hour on- simply try… This could be as simple as watching a youtube video instructional) go on to number two…
Which one or two activities can you do once within the 30 days?
Which would you like to look in to sometime in the coming few months? For this one, pull out your calendar and schedule something 2 months from now, for example: “research coed adult kickball” or “look at adult dance studio schedule to see what is offered on Tuesday and Thursday nights.” Put it into your calendar on a day/time in 2 months when you know you are likely to do it- maybe at work when you know you’ll be in front of your computer. Maybe on a Saturday when you might be in a looking up fun things mood.
•Now, back to the first ones you chose to do this week and this month: who might be someone you can invite to join you? Or if not join you, who can you tell that you are going to do it (so they might ask how it went, and keep you committed to doing what you want to try doing)?
Even when we know we like doing things, it can sometimes be a tough switch to actually get out the door and go do them! (This is one of the main reasons I wanted to study psychology: why is it so hard to do the things we say we want to do?!) Set yourself up for success by doing all you can to make this finding-activities-I-like project as easy to do as possible:
→tell someone you are doing it (or have someone join you)
→lay out any clothing you’ll need prior to go-time
→make sure you have directions/signed-up/know what to wear or bring so you are ready to roll on the day of
When it IS go-time, a “no negotiations” policy can be helpful. There are lots of things that make our brains go, “but maybe I don’t wanna…” when it is time to do something that we will actually LOVE doing. Commit to No Negotiations so that when those thoughts come up, you are able to say, “Doing it! Already decided!” and simply shut down any reasoning about whether or not you should do what you already decided you will do. You will either be THRILLED afterwards that you (finally?) did it,
or
maybe you’ll decide it isn’t really for you and you’ll be ready to try something else.
