So many people claim to “hate exercise” these days. It used to baffle me – how could anyone hate something that boosts your energy, works out the kinks in your stiff body, makes you less likely to explode from stress?! – until I realized that most people equate exercise to chores or hours on the treadmill in a place lit by fluorescent bulbs that smells like sweaty gym socks or grueling marathon training.
I would hate it too if I thought of it that way!
So let’s “re-frame” it a little. Here’s how.
- Think movement, not exercise. Seriously. It’s as simple as that. You don’t have to go to the gym or even put on sneakers to exercise. Just move. Walk. Dance. Jump. Skip. Hula hoop. Whatever. And you don’t have to be in a special place to do it. Just because Lady Gaga isn’t blasting from the speakers and there aren’t mirrors on the walls doesn’t mean you’re not exercising. Just move your body!
- Find movement you love. One of my clients loves to dance. He also loves to play the drums. He gets a lot of his exercise from these two activities. (He recently started going to the gym, too, but that’s just extra.) Most of our coaching sessions begin with him telling me that he “danced three times this week, went to the gym once, and played the drums for like three hours one night.” Great! He moved his body, got his heart rate up, and LOVED EVERY MINUTE OF IT. There are so many ways to move your body – commit to trying something new this week. (I went for a swim a couple of weeks ago – a real swim – for the first time since I swam competitively as a kid. It felt great. I might do more of it.)
- Use the in-between spaces. Most of us have more available time for movement in our days than we realize. Waiting for the bus or subway – how about a little stretching? Listening into a conference call at the office – drop and give me 20 push-ups, sit-ups, Pilates roll-ups, whatever. (I know…you should probably pay attention to the call…but will you really?) Walk down the hall to talk to a co-worker instead of picking up the phone. Carry your groceries home instead of driving them. You get the idea.
- Multi-task. If your goal is to get outside more often in the summer, take a walk around the block instead of just sitting in the park. If you need more “you time,” follow the lead of my client Christine who puts her 18-month-old in a stroller and walks around the neighborhood for an hour a few times a week. He falls asleep. She gets her alone time AND some exercise.
- And, yes, take the stairs. We’d probably all do it more often if it looked (and sounded) like this:
Getting your heart rate up on a regular basis would be ideal. (There are lots of ways to do that, by the way…just sayin’.) Just start by adding a little more movement to your day and see where it takes you. I promise…it all counts!
What movement do you love? How do you fit it into your day? Tell me in the comments!
xo,
