Find Your Motivation to Exercise: 10 Tips

Struggling to get out the door for your afternoon walk? Or finding that extra hour of sleep more appealing than hitting the pavement for your morning stroll?

Despite being well aware of the benefits of exercise - and knowing how great you will feel after exercising - you may find yourself struggling with motivation. Read on for some tips:

1. Adopt an Exercise Buddy

Exercise buddies keep you accountable - there's nothing like the commitment of knowing that someone is waiting for you. Walking groups or cycling bunch rides are a great way to meet people, and as your fitness improves, other people who have greater fitness will spur you on!

2. Walk to a Beat

Listening to music can motivate you during exercise, resulting in longer, more enjoyable sessions. If music isn't your thing, try listening to books on CD or podcasts.

3. Try Something New

Try cycling, aqua aerobics, water running, walking, swimming or even dancing. There is a form of exercise that you will love out there - you just may not have found it yet!

4. Just Do It

Sometimes overanalysing can be detrimental - you just need to get out there and exercise!

5. Enter Fun Runs and Walks

You don't have to be a serious runner or athlete to enter races, most have 'walker' divisions. Aim to do a fun run or walk to sustain interest and give yourself a goal to work towards.

6. Schedule It

Book an appointment with yourself and prioritise exercise just like you would any other appointment.

7. Exercise Early

If you want to get something done, do it before other tasks and responsibilities accumulate. If you exercise early you will benefit from an elevated metabolic rate for the remainder of the day, which means you are likely to burn more calories. If you can't fit exercise in early, try to do it before you get home. Once you get home, it can be difficult to go back outside!

8. Be Prepared

Keep a bag of exercise clothes at your work or in your car - you never know when you may be able to fit in an exercise session. If you are going to exercise in the morning, organise the gear you need the night before.

9. Keep Track

Keep an exercise diary, or use a heart rate monitor to measure your exercise intensity, duration and calories burned. When you meet your exercise goals, treat yourself to a non food-related reward. When you are pressed for time, a pedometer is a great way of measuring your incidental exercise.

10. Be Flexible

Don't worry too much about missed exercise days, but try to identify the barriers that prevent you from exercising and address them.

How Much Exercise Do I Need to Do to Lose Weight?

The amount of exercise you need to do depends on your weight loss goal. If your goal is:

1. Weight loss 150-250 minutes of moderate intensity* physical activity per week provides modest weight loss. People with a body mass index that classifies them as overweight or obese should aim for more than 250 minutes of exercise per week (e.g. 5 sessions of one hour per week) and perform resistance training to increase the amount of metabolically active muscle tissue in their bodies and reduce their health risks.

2. Weight maintenance More than 250 minutes per week of moderate intensity physical activity per week (e.g. 5 sessions of 50 minutes per week).

3. Preventing weight gain 150-250 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity per week (e.g. 5 sessions of 30 - 50 minutes per week).

*Moderate intensity physical activity is an increase in your breathing rate to a point where you are still able to talk comfortably but not sing. A more technical explanation is that it is exercising in a range of 65-75% of your maximum heart rate. Modes of exercise which are best suited to moderate intensity exercise are brisk walking, swimming, bike riding or cardio machines at the gym. Exercise should be continuous rather than in short bursts (these short bursts occur in sports such as tennis or touch football).

Remember that it's very difficult to lose weight through exercise alone. If you try to lose weight without reducing your calorie intake you'll need to exercise for at least 300 minutes a week! The best way to lose weight is to exercise AND consume fewer calories. Not only will you lose weight at a faster rate, but by engaging in regular aerobic exercise you'll keep the weight off for life.

Reference
Donnelly, J. et al., 2009, ' Appropriate Physical Activity Intervention Strategies for Weight Loss and Prevention of Weight Regain for Adults', Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise Vol. 41:459-471.

Wet Weather: Don’t Let it Dampen Your Motivation to Exercise

You can exercise when the weather is wet, all it takes is some planning. Here are some ideas to get you started:

- Shopping centre walks - Several shopping centres open early for morning walkers. It’s a great way to exercise while staying warm and dry. If you live in Brisbane, the City Council holds a number of shopping centre group walks through its GoneWalking program.

- Car parks and schools - There are lots of undercover car parks and sheltered areas, you just have to look for them. Make sure the area you choose is well lit and safe and try and team up with an exercise buddy.

- Resistance training – You can do this at home with a theraband or with household items such as cans and phonebooks.

- Hit the pool – Most public swimming pools are heated in the cooler months. Try walking laps in the pool – it’s just as beneficial as walking outside but without the impact on your hips and knees.

- Wear some waterproof gear - Don’t let the rain stop you from going outside. Just remember to take care not to slip on wet surfaces and be sure to get changed straight after you exercise to avoid getting cold.

And of course there’s your local gym. You can try a variety of cardio equipment including treadmills and exercise bikes.

In summary, exercise can be done anywhere for little or no money, it makes you feel great and it helps you lose weight. So don’t let the wet weather dampen your spirits - get out there and exercise!

Stay Cool This Summer – How to Avoid Heat Illness

Despite what has been an unseasonably mild summer to date, the hotter days are becoming more frequent and it is important to be aware of the dangers of exercising during this time of year. Summer climates increase the risk of developing heat illnesses such as heat stroke when exercising, resulting in many debilitating health complications such as:

• Feelings of tiredness, weakness, dizziness and faintness
• Dehydration and headaches
• Excessive fatigue
• Heat cramps

So what can you do to help yourself avoid these possible side effects?

Pre-exercise

• Hydrate effectively – Daily water requirements during summer increase to a minimum of 4L per day
• Drink 2-3 cups of water 2 hours before and 1 cup 10-15min before undertaking exercise
• Avoid hot foods, alcohol and heavy foods that increase your core temperature
• Choose lightweight, light-colored and loose-fitting clothing as well as wearing a hat
• Use sun block with an SPF rating of 15+ or higher

During exercise

• Avoid exercise during the hottest time of day; train closer to sunrise or sunset
• Drink 1 cup of water every 15minutes throughout exercise
• If you feel any headaches, fatigue or irritability or notice your exercise performance decreasing, stop exercising and cool off

Post-exercise

• Weigh yourself before and after exercise and replace any lost fluids accordingly
• Drink 1.5L of water for every kilogram of fluid you lost during exercise
• Try to avoid too much sports drink, however for intense exercise above 60min, these may help to further accelerate water intake after exercise in the heat

Remember: Planning ahead for exercise in the heat will assist you in avoiding the health complications associated with heat illness this summer.

Exercise Your Way Through Winter

As we start to feel that cool crisp change in the air and with the morning and evening drawing closer together, motivation levels and regular exercise compliance can start to dwindle. Keeping enthusiasm, motivation and exercise levels high for the next few months can be easy with plenty of options to stay out of the cold and be safe with less sunlight and shorter days. There are many benefits of regular exercise, in addition to weight loss and management; it will help keep you fighting fit and healthy with a stronger immune system, therefore limiting the amount of coughs and colds that you may pick up during this time of the year. Below are four strategies to help maintain your levels of exercise over the next few months.

DVD, Wifit and I-Phone applications

With the developments in technology, there are no more excuses!! These devices are a great alternative in the cooler months as they can increase your heart-rate and can provide an overall body workout while in the comfort of your own home. On your I-Phone there are options ranging from yoga and running to resistance training and many more depending on your interests. So start searching on that I-Phone today!!

Formal vs Incidental Exercise

When most people hear the word exercise they think of gym programs, organised sport and brisk morning walks. Whilst this is exercise, it is more accurately defined as ‘formal exercise’.

In addition to this however, the exercise you obtain from going about your daily activities is known as ‘incidental exercise’. Everyday tasks such as shopping, gardening and hanging out the washing can also offer health benefits similar to the benefits of a structured exercise program. 

Regular exercise can:

• Help prevent heart disease, stroke and hypertension or high blood pressure
• Reduce the risk of developing Type II Diabetes and some cancers
• Help build and maintain healthy bones, muscles and joints therefore reducing the risk of injury
• Promote psychological well-being

Although formal and incidental exercise are different, they are both important.  It is therefore recommended that you should partake in a combination of both types of exercise according to the Australian recommendations, which are outlined below:

Formal Exercise

The Australian Guidelines for Exercise recommend that you partake in 150 minutes of planned formal exercise per week.  Ideally, you should aim to build up to five sessions per week for 30+ minutes each session. Exercise should be performed at a moderate-intensity; this should cause a slight but noticeable increase in your breathing and heart rate.  If you’re exercising to lose weight as well as keeping healthy, it is recommended that you exceed these recommendations. 

A general guideline for weight loss is:

Energy expenditure > Energy intake

This means that you should burn more energy than you consume through eating. Aim to accumulate 300 minutes per week, such as five one hour sessions. Formal exercise should consist mostly of aerobic activities such as running, brisk walking, cycling, and swimming as they are best for cardiovascular health.

Resistance exercise should also be included in your program to build and maintain muscle strength and to keep bones and joints strong.  The recommendation for resistance exercise is to complete 10 strength exercises, with 8 to 12 repetitions at least twice a week.

Remember: If you haven’t been involved in formal exercise recently or you have a problem with your health, you should always see your doctor before starting an exercise program.

Incidental Exercise

It can be hard to find time to exercise in today’s world with busy work schedules, family obligations, and hectic weekends.  But maintaining good health is vital and should not be overlooked.  Reaching the recommended amount of physical activity may not be as difficult as you think!  The key is to increasing incidental exercise, and therefore change some of your daily lifestyle habits to promote more movement. 

The following are some ideas to assist you in reaching your exercise goals:

• Take the stairs – instead of taking the lift or escalator, use the stairs and give your glutes and thighs an extra workout!
• Shop till you drop – whilst shopping use a basket when possible and carry your shopping bags to the car instead of using a trolley
• Extra walking – when driving to work or shopping, park your car further away than normal and walk the extra distance. If you take public transport, hop off one stop early and walk the extra distance
• Whilst at work - walk and talk if you are on a cordless or mobile phone; go for a short brisk walk during lunch; speak to someone in person instead of sending an email or calling them on the phone
• Around the home – ditch the remote control and stand up to change the channel, or exercise during the ad breaks.  Do the gardening, hang the washing out instead of using the dryer, or take the dog for a walk
• Involve the whole family – organise weekend activities which encourage the whole family to be active and spend quality time together. Some suggestions include bush walking, cycling, learning to surf, indoor rock climbing, and backyard cricket

Stay Motivated

Sticking with your fitness program can be a hard task! Many start their exercise regime and then stop because they are bored or the results come too slowly. People begin exercise for different reasons. You need to decide why starting exercise is important to YOU!

Here are some tips to keep you from throwing in the towel:

• Set goals - be SMART therefore set specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and time focused goals.   Challenge yourself through your exercise program whilst still being SMART. Consider both the short and the long term to give yourself something to strive for.
• Start slowly - you’ve heard the saying “too hard, too fast”, you don’t want to burn out and be forced to abandon your program due to injury or pain. Begin your exercise at a comfortable level and slowly progress as you feel you start to improve.
• Think variety - consider various types of exercise to keep boredom at bay. Alternate walking or running with swimming, or move your indoors routine outside - weather permitting!
• Track your progress - an exercise diary may be useful to keep a record of each session; track what you did, how long you exercised for and how you felt afterwards. Documenting your efforts can help you work towards your goals and serve to remind  you that you’re making progress.
• Have fun - what makes you tick? You’re more likely to stick with an exercise program if you’re doing something you enjoy. There is a wide array of choices out there if you think outside the square. If you’re not sure, have a go and you might just discover a new love!

References
www.health.gov.au 
www.mayoclinic.com/health/fitness/sm99999
www.haddinsfitness.com.au/