What if you lose motivation, your weather is terrible, or your schedule becomes too hectic? Can you still exercise when it’s hard to keep going? Guardian readers and experts offer their top advice for Personal trainer kitsilano. The Health Survey for England 2016 found that 34% of men and 42% of women were not meeting their aerobic exercise targets. Even more, 69% and 77% are not engaging in enough strengthening activities.
We think of exercise as how we “get” fit. Sometimes, however, it is not difficult to start. Falko Sniehotta is a Newcastle University professor of behavioral medicine, health psychology, and health psychology. “The biggest problem is keeping it,” she says. According to the UK guidelines, adults should perform strength exercises and 150 minutes of moderate activity or 75 minutes of vigorous exercise each week. Public Health England’s analysis shows that obesity is increasing the number of chronic long-term illnesses.
While we all know we should do more, how can we continue moving forward when motivation is low, the weather changes, or life interferes? These 25 tips from Guardian readers and experts will help you keep going. Michelle Segar, director of the University of Michigan’s Sport, Health and Activity Research and Policy Center, states that our motivations for starting to exercise are crucial to how long we keep going.
Too often, “society” promotes fitness and exercise by luring people into short-term motivation, guilt, and shame. She says there is evidence that younger people are more likely to go to the gym if they have a positive outlook on life. However, motivation for exercise and fitness after the 20s doesn’t fuel them. It’s not helpful to set vague or achievable plans (“I want to be fit, I want weight loss”).
Segar, the author of No Sweat, How the Simple Science of Motivation Can Bring You a Lifetime of Health and Fitness, believes that we will be more successful when we concentrate on positive emotions like stress reduction, increased energy, and making friends. She says, “The only way that we will prioritize time for exercise is if it delivers some kind of value to our daily lives.”
Personal trainer Matt Roberts warns against the New Year’s resolutions approach to fitness. People “jump in and try everything” – change their diets, quit smoking, lose motivation, and get too tired. It will take time if you’ve never been in shape before. Roberts likes high-intensity intervals (HIIT) and suggests that people incorporate some of it, but doing it every day would be too difficult for most people. It can be done once or twice a week.
Motivation, or lack thereof, is just one part of the larger picture. Sniehotta says that money, parenting requirements, and even where you live all can be obstacles. Physical activity can be affected by fatigue, depression, stress at work, and ill family members. He points out that it is easier to keep active if you have a lot of support. You might feel more at home doing outdoor activities if you live in a specific part of the country than elsewhere.