3 things exercise has to do for you

Exercise is an important part of life. There are many things that exercise does for us. Unfortunately, it has also become one of the things we “wish we had more time for”. We know all of the things that exercise CAN do for us. It can only do these things if we do it.

I look at things a little differently because I know how difficult it can be to change. For that reason, I came up with the 3 things that exercise has to do for you. This is not a list of the benefits of exercise. You already know what those are. You already know what you are getting…or not getting.

These are the 3 things that exercise has to do for you. If your routine doesn’t do these things, you will not stick with it for very long. You may not even be able to get into it if these things aren’t on your mind and part of your goals.

1. Exercise has to fit into your schedule

If exercise doesn’t fit, you won’t do it. If anything doesn’t fit in our lives, we tend to let it fall off the calendar. Speaking of calendars, the best way to make sure you get your exercise is to make an appointment. After all, what do we do with other important events? We make appointments and put them on the calendar!

By taking this step, you are committing to yourself that you are going to make it happen. Remember: If exercise doesn’t fit, you won’t do it. Often the first step is not to go out and exercise. The first step is to plan WHEN and WHERE you are going to exercise to make sure it fits in your schedule.

2. Exercise has to be enjoyable

We’ve all heard the expression: “no pain, no gain.” While it has its place in a small segment of the exercise world, you probably don’t want to be in pain. You probably don’t want to put yourself through any unnecessary discomfort for or during exercise. That is why the first point is so important. Making it easy to schedule is step one, step two is really about what you are doing.

If you like doing something, you will keep doing it. If you do not like something, you will not likely keep doing it. This sounds like a simple concept, right? It’s no wonder the same people that say that they hate exercise because it is too hard, don’t do it at all. There are far too many options to say that exercise is hard or that you don’t like it. There is something that you can do that you will enjoy. If you do something and don’t enjoy it, simply try something else. That is the beauty of exercise. You don’t have to do the same thing. You can do whatever you want. Just do something!

3. Exercise has to be for you

This may sound funny, but I don’t benefit from your exercise. I don’t get anything out of it when you go to the gym or when you go running. I get nothing from your routine. The same goes for the people around you. They don’t benefit when you work out. (Or do they? Stay tuned.)

Who benefits from your routine? YOU! You are the one that gets to enjoy the increased energy, healthy weight, confidence and the long list of benefits. You are the one that feels better when you move. You are the one setting goals and reaching goals. At least if you are going to make it a habit, you have to be the one setting goals and reaching them. Motivation has to come from within. You have to be able to look inside and ask yourself: “What do I want to get out of this?” Once you do that, you can do what it takes to get what you want. As you do that, you can continue to draw on the reasons you want to keep going. As you continue, your goals are being reached and the benefits can be attributed to the steps that you have taken.

Exercise can do many things for us. Hopefully it is part of your day to day routine. If not, these are some easy things you can do to get started. If you can make the above steps part of your routine, you can also make and exercise part of it. That is the biggest misconception about exercise: it is hard to get started. I work day in and day out helping people get started without feeling like they have to alter their entire lives in the process. You simply have to make sure that…

1. Exercise fits into your schedule

2. Exercise is enjoyable

And

3. Exercise is for you

If you can think about a few simple things, you can get started and keep going without too much trouble.

I would love to hear what you get out of your exercise routine: share your comments or email me at coach@byrdwellnessconcepts.com