How to Learn to Love Exercise

The aging process remains a mystery to most of the medical sciences, but one thing we do know and that is that exercise is crucial to a long, healthy life. Exercise not only increases life expectancy, but it also makes us feel better immediately.

However, nearly three-quarters of American adults are considered overweight or obese. So it seems that most of us find it difficult to make exercise, or at least not part of our daily routine.

Although some of the healthiest cultures don’t engage in formal exercise as we are used to, their citizens are all very active from the time they are children until they reach adulthood. age 80 and 90. Unfortunately, the average American’s lifestyle is not so active. In fact, it is quite sedentary.

9 steps to learn to love exercise

While exercise may not seem like a good time for you, there are people out there, and a lot of them really love exercising. They love to run, lift weights and swim. Wouldn’t it be a lot easier to exercise if you were one of them? These steps can help you learn to love exercise.

1. Scheduling

In a culture where we live a mostly sedentary lifestyle, everything else seems to take precedence over exercise. Exercise is seen as a leisure activity, who else has free time? Even before buying the right shoes and finding the right exercise routine, practice taking some time aside.

Regularly book 30 minutes in advance, at least three times a week. If 30 minutes seems overwhelming or impractical, start with 10. Don’t allow yourself to use that time for anything else. Think of it as an appointment you won’t cancel, such as a doctor’s appointment.

2. Track your happiness

Here’s your first test: In the time you’ve spent, think about exercising. Just sit somewhere and think about it. Do not answer the phone. Don’t surf the internet. Do not write. Do nothing but think about exercise.

Think about what simple exercise you can do during this period. Can you walk? Parade in front of the TV? Go exercise? Practicing yoga at home? What feels right or most appealing?

Do this mental exercise for a week or until you feel ready for the next step. You may be ready after the first day.

3. Replace with real exercise

Now that you’ve gotten used to spending time and thinking about exercise, start replacing your thoughts with actual physical activity. It may seem silly, but by scheduling even 10 minutes, you’ve overcome the biggest obstacle to regular exercise: time. Now you can have fun experimenting with your exercise style.

Don’t worry about intensity or results. Choose what feels right. Just continue to establish an exercise routine three times a week. There are countless exercise possibilities, but you’ll probably feel more comfortable starting with one of these:

4. Set the minimum

Now that you’ve scheduled your time and tried a few different ways, set a minimum amount of exercise per week. Make a commitment to yourself that you will never fall below that minimum.

If you stay true to your commitments every week for the rest of your life, you’ve set yourself up to continuously reap the health benefits of exercise. That makes commitment one of the most important actions you can take.

Sometimes you will exceed the minimum. Sometimes you will have bad days just walking on the treadmill. But you will build a healthy habit that will sustain you for the rest of your life.

5. Change your goals

The “perfect” magazine bodies are hard (or even impossible) to get, and even harder to maintain. Instead of having an unattainable ideal in mind, exercise for health, energy, and vitality.

Feeling good is your goal, not weight loss or muscle gain. Those benefits will come, but leave them as a reward for the boost in energy and health you gain.

Tell yourself every time you exercise that your goal is health and energy. Just stick to your commitment and you’ll accomplish that goal, even on light training days.

6. Become Aware of Spiritual Benefits

Now that you’ve exercised, notice how exercise makes you feel. The more you feel its mental health benefits — such as improved brain function and better mood—Exercise just got easier. Consider these basic mental health questions:

• Do you deal with stress the same way?
• How is your creativity?
• How are your problem solving skills?
• Do you prefer food?
• Do you feel tired on non-exercise days?
• Do you have cravings for different foods?

Capture the positive replies as a reminder for the days when you want to sit on the couch and surf the internet.

7. Enjoy the changes

As you exercise more often, you will begin to notice changes in your body. Enjoy these benefits as they come. You may experience positive changes including:

8. Likes to exercise

Yes, that’s one step. By taking the time to enjoy how your body feels during and after exercising every step of the way, you’re ensuring that you’re mindful and appreciative of the body you are and growing.

So go ahead, check out your new body. Really feel your muscles and limbs. Marvel at the mechanics of running, walking or lifting. Feel your pulse increase and blood flow faster. Really appreciate what happens to your body during a workout.

9. Increase your intensity

If you’ve come this far, it’s time to test the intensity of your workouts. You are probably increasing the weight you use with your free weight. Maybe you’re turning a 30-minute walk into an hour. Or maybe you’ve decided to start it up for a run.

Once you’ve learned to love exercise, don’t let yourself get bored or hit a high point. Keep challenging yourself and your body will keep thanking you.

More ways to learn to love healthy habits

Need new inspiration for your fitness routine? Try these tips.