In my last post, I proposed that consider physical activity similarly to a “life partner”. Many of us want to form life partnerships because we believe that they have the potential to ENHANCE our lives through support, love, physical pleasure, companionship, positive feelings, etc. Partnering with the right person creates a synergistic alliance that can make all aspects of our life more meaningful and enjoyable.
Physical activity has the potential to be an incredible life-enhancing partner and ally IF WE LET IT. That means following other people’s prescriptions or recommendations about how we SHOULD exercise isn’t the ideal way to be physically active. Would you choose to marry someone because others told you this was the type of person you SHOULD spend your life with? I didn’t think so.
The way you make physical activity your ally is to:
• Determine how physical movement can enhance your day. Do you want to feel more energy, be more relaxed, multitask moving with being social?
• Identify types of physical movement is most appealing FOR YOU to do. Is walking outside in nice weather relaxing? Do you like to listen to funk or salsa music when you move?
• Select an ideal time to try this movement with this “ally” mindset. Is it first thing in the morning, a break during the workday or on the weekend?
• Throw out rules duration of your movement! Imposing a rule related to how long you need to exercise to make it worth it just doesn’t work for most in today’s very busy world. Instead of imposing some time structure, ask yourself “How long do I want to move for TODAY or TOMORROW?” In fact, when initially forming this new ally relationship with movement, it’s better to start small, and try only 5-15 minutes.
• Evaluate how it went. Did this feel good to do? Did you feel nurtured and positive moving in the ways you created? Don’t feel discouraged if your first attempt didn’t feel amazing. Sometimes, it takes trying different things, tweaking amount of time, etc. before we click with it.
You’ll discover when YOU mold physical activity to fit your needs and wants, instead of the other way around, it will become your ally for life.
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