EXERCISE - DO WHAT MOVES YOU - Nourish Your Body

We often make lofty exercise goals at the beginning of the year. We may be driven by the promise of a New Year, our fitness or weight targets, or maybe, like me, you’ve seen the numerous articles lately suggesting ‘sitting is the new smoking.’ While the comparison to smoking is a wild exaggeration, it is indeed true that leading a sedentary lifestyle has adverse effects in most health outcomes (most significantly an increased risk for Type 2 diabetes).* No matter what your reason, there is no denying the incredible benefits of exercise for your health.

Exercise improves your circulation, boosts immune function, lowers blood pressure and bad cholesterol, reduces risk of chronic diseases, creates endorphins and elevates your mood- improving mental and emotional health, brings more oxygen, nutrients, and protective chemicals to the brain which boosts brain function and helps reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s, boosts metabolism, gets you in shape, helps you reach your optimal weight, and increases longevity. Simply put, increasing your exercise is highly beneficial, and yet many people quickly fall short of their goals and expectations. This can happen for a number of reasons, from choosing the wrong exercise, to setting unrealistic goals, to forcing yourself to do something you hate. If you’re in this boat, let’s set you up for success instead!

Here are my Top Five Tips on How to Succeed with your Exercise Goals!

1. 1. 1. Do what moves you. I’m personally not a fan of the gym. I also hate getting up really early. So if I created an early morning gym routine, I probably wouldn’t exercise at all. However, I love being in nature, admiring pretty views, and taking things at my own pace; hiking is one of the exercises that works best for me. What are your preferences? Do you like to exercise inside or outside? With other people or alone? Do you want music to be involved? Ask yourself, what would motivate you to get up and move? Think outside the box- you can do anything from running, walking, hiking, yoga, jump-roping, kick-boxing, martial arts, rock climbing, rowing, salsa dancing, Zumba classes, team sports, skiing, skating, snow-shoeing, belly dancing, and even pole dancing classes are all the rage. The biggest mistake is to think that exercise has to look any certain way. Just move your body and get your blood flowing!
    2. Find the exercise that’s right for your body. Some years ago I decided to try Krav Ma Ga, an intense Israeli self-defense practice based in martial art techniques. I faithfully went to class, got my aggressions out on the punching bags, did sit-ups and push-ups galore, and came as close as I’ve ever come to a six-pack. But, as much as I loved the classes, I realized that the exercise was not right for my body; I was experiencing muscle tension, headaches, and compression in my neck. It was simply too aggressive and stressful for my body. I needed a more soothing, elongating, stress-relieving exercise, so I switched back to yoga, which makes my body feel amazing. If you are someone who could use a little more muscle strength and physical intensity, weight-lifting, Krav Ma Ga, or kickboxing could be right for you. If you find yourself very stressed out and tense, or have tight or built-up muscles, consider a more gentle practice like yoga, dancing, or walking.
    3. Be realistic- The best way not to reach your exercise goals is to set yourself up for failure. People tend to get really ambitious at the beginning of the year; they decide to train for marathons, wake up for 4am boot-camp classes, or exercise late at night after exhausting work days. While this may be realistic for some people, for most, it will back fire. Ask yourself if your exercise goal is reasonable, realistic, and do able for you? Be honest. Otherwise you risk feeling like you failed and not exercising at all. Set yourself up for success and make your exercise realistic.
    4. Myth: working out harder is better. Ever wonder why people who work out really hard for long periods of time at the gym don’t always get weight loss results? Consider this: when you’re stressed out, your body creates the hormone ‘cortisol’ which causes you to go into fight or flight mode. Your metabolism slows and your body hangs onto fat for survival (stored energy for later use). Make sure your exercise isn’t too stressful for your body! While short bursts of more intense exercise followed by relaxation can be beneficial, longer work-outs should allow you to breathe deeply.
    5. Get Accountability- Motivation to create new habits is easiest when you have some form of accountability in place. Consider getting a work-out buddy, hiring a personal trainer, joining an online group or forum to keep you on track, or signing up for a class (and paying in advance). You can also announce your intention/goal to a friend or family member and ask them to do an accountability check-up with you.