What's Your Barrier?

If the only form of exercise you, your family and friends are getting is coming from shoveling all of the snow we have gotten this winter then this blog is for you.
We all know people who start off extremely enthusiastic about going to the gym. Some of them actually make it there but only a handful will continue. There is a formal theory for this behavior pattern. Its called- The 5 Stages of Change - and is represented by 5 steps:

1- Pre-contemplation - Not thinking about exercise at all. May come up with excuses as to why they should not exercise.
2- Contemplative - Have not begun thinking about exercise. Know the benefits of it but have not yet made a move in the direction of a gym.
3- Preparation - Makes small changes such as buying gym clothes, or getting a gym membership but have still not gotten started
4- Action - Has began going to the gym and may have started trying to eat healthier as well. But at this stage there is only a 50% chance that this person will continue. Often some people have unrealistic weight loss goals or body images for themselves and when they don't see quick results are gone with in 6 months.
5- Maintenance - This is where physical activity has become habit or a part of their lifestyle.

Every person fits somewhere into this model and if we are honest with ourselves we will place ourselves where we belong on this roller coaster. I say roller coaster because people are constantly on and off up and down with their fitness. If there have been changes in your life that have demotivated you from participating in your regular physical activity you have to stand back, look at the situation and decide whether you are going to continue moving forward or risk riding that roller coaster all the way back to square one. Even people in the maintenance stage fall off of the exercise wheel. But what matters is how long we allow ourselves to stay off. We have to consider our barriers to exercise:

1 - lack of time
2 - lack of interest
3 - scared of injury
4 - dislikes sweating
5 - lack of energy
6 - history of sedentary lifestyle
7 - feels too heavy to go to a gym
8 - board with "routine"
...to name a few.

Now with all of the excuses, there are plenty of goals that people have in mind. But what in your life can you accomplish if you do not take strides in that direction? Nothing! People want to "look good", "lose weight", or "tone up"
Although these are goals they are very generic. In fitness we have what are called SMART goals.

Specific - lose 10 pounds
Measureable - regular assessments
Action oriented - frequency, intensity, time, and type of work out
Realistic - 8 to 10 pounds of weight loss in a month
Timed - Set a date for reassessments

When you work with SMART goals you are more likely to continue your exercise program because you will see results. This seeing of results is positive reinforcement and will encourage you to keep pace and allow exercise to become a part of who you are.

We are all apart of this busy world where everything seems to happen instantaneously, but we have to keep in mind that whatever weight we have put on since college, that we now want to take off, did not happen over night. And taking that weight off will be a process that will surely not occur in a matter of days.

If you believe that anything worth having is worth working for (good health, positive body image) Get to work! Aren't you worth it?

God Bless. See you next Sunday

Tausha
Health and Activity