The Benefits of Exercise
What is the benefit of exercise? Who among us doesn’t know the answer to that question? Then why is it so hard to do?
I’m busy. It hurts. I’ll do it later. I don’t have the equipment. I don’t have anyone to do it with. I tried and it was too hard. Or, I tried and I didn’t lose any weight.
We sure have plenty of excuses. For those of us who don’t exercise, the hardest thing is getting started. Why is it so hard to do something that we know is good for us?
We might be a little closer to knowing the big “secret” to some of these important questions. What is it that allows some people to start exercising? And why do some people continue to exercise when others quit? What does it take to make people start exercising, and to continue to exercise once they have started?
Believe it or not, experts study this stuff. And the results of a recent study may have provided answers to this complex and frustrating problem. It turns out that certain simple factors lead to a greater likelihood that you will start to exercise and that you will continue with your program. The answer is so simple that it is hardly even helpful.
The results of this study claimed that two main factors make the difference between success and failure when starting and trying to continue an exercise program.
1. Those with home exercise equipment are more likely to begin to exercise, and
2. Those who believe that they will successfully achieve their exercise goals are more likely to continue with the program.
So, if you have a treadmill taunting you in your TV room, you are more likely to begin an exercise program. And if you believe you will lose weight, or get fit, you are more likely to continue to exercise.
We already knew that it takes some degree of motivation to begin to exercise. And we also already knew it takes some degree of belief that exercise is the path to a goal in order to keep up an exercise program. This study merely confirmed what we already know. It is important to recognize that both of these ingredients can be summed up in the same word: “attitude.”
It should also be a relief to learn that the barrier between you, and beginning to exercise, is really quite small and manageable. This is such a minor obstacle that it is possible to overcome it.
This brings us back to the issue of the benefits of exercise. We are so familiar with these benefits and this can be where we will find our motivation. You know whether you need the health benefits of exercise and you know whether you are concerned about your appearance. Instead of wasting time worrying, allow the fact that you want to improve, change, or control something about yourself to be your motivation to get started.
Come on. Do we really need to have a piece of exercise equipment in our home in order to start exercising? Why use a treadmill when you can go outside and taek a walk or jog around a park? If you have a dog and you have a leash, then you have “exercise equipment.” Go walk the dog.
And as for the other portion of the equation, the need to “believe” that we can get benefits from exercise, how tough is that? Of course we already know we can get benefits from exercise.
There is a very good reason why the slogan for Nike is so effective. It is true – Just Do It!
I’m busy. It hurts. I’ll do it later. I don’t have the equipment. I don’t have anyone to do it with. I tried and it was too hard. Or, I tried and I didn’t lose any weight.
We sure have plenty of excuses. For those of us who don’t exercise, the hardest thing is getting started. Why is it so hard to do something that we know is good for us?
We might be a little closer to knowing the big “secret” to some of these important questions. What is it that allows some people to start exercising? And why do some people continue to exercise when others quit? What does it take to make people start exercising, and to continue to exercise once they have started?
Believe it or not, experts study this stuff. And the results of a recent study may have provided answers to this complex and frustrating problem. It turns out that certain simple factors lead to a greater likelihood that you will start to exercise and that you will continue with your program. The answer is so simple that it is hardly even helpful.
The results of this study claimed that two main factors make the difference between success and failure when starting and trying to continue an exercise program.
1. Those with home exercise equipment are more likely to begin to exercise, and
2. Those who believe that they will successfully achieve their exercise goals are more likely to continue with the program.
So, if you have a treadmill taunting you in your TV room, you are more likely to begin an exercise program. And if you believe you will lose weight, or get fit, you are more likely to continue to exercise.
We already knew that it takes some degree of motivation to begin to exercise. And we also already knew it takes some degree of belief that exercise is the path to a goal in order to keep up an exercise program. This study merely confirmed what we already know. It is important to recognize that both of these ingredients can be summed up in the same word: “attitude.”
It should also be a relief to learn that the barrier between you, and beginning to exercise, is really quite small and manageable. This is such a minor obstacle that it is possible to overcome it.
This brings us back to the issue of the benefits of exercise. We are so familiar with these benefits and this can be where we will find our motivation. You know whether you need the health benefits of exercise and you know whether you are concerned about your appearance. Instead of wasting time worrying, allow the fact that you want to improve, change, or control something about yourself to be your motivation to get started.
Come on. Do we really need to have a piece of exercise equipment in our home in order to start exercising? Why use a treadmill when you can go outside and taek a walk or jog around a park? If you have a dog and you have a leash, then you have “exercise equipment.” Go walk the dog.
And as for the other portion of the equation, the need to “believe” that we can get benefits from exercise, how tough is that? Of course we already know we can get benefits from exercise.
There is a very good reason why the slogan for Nike is so effective. It is true – Just Do It!
