Nick the Expert

What gets some people out of their chairs and off to exercise on most days? What does a regular exercises possess that other people don't? Why keeps some people going for years while others burn out and stop? In this post and the next two, I want to look at some of the factors that motivate people to exercise day in and day out, year after year.

Motivation 1: The desire to live longer and live healthier.

The simplest way to decrease your risk of all major chronic diseases, including heart disease and many cancers, is to exercise regularly. If you want to live longer and to have a better quality of life when you are older, exercise is the right prescription. While some people may lack the desire to become healthier, most of us may fear becoming unhealthy! What stirs you? You can avoid the fear of poor health or diminished function by tapping into a new desire to make choices that can lead you to exercise and eat right and become healthier in the process.

Motivation Tip 1. Do you want to know if you have any on-going health issues. Check your health status yearly with a physical exam conducted by your physician. Yearly exams can help identify early any risk factors for disease that you may be developing. This yearly reality check can help motivate you to start exercising and eating right and to keep it up.

Becoming more active throughout your day can benefit your metabolism by enabling your body to burn more calories and lose fat. A great way to track how active you are and to measure how far you walk (steps to miles) is to use a pedometer. That way you capture intentional steps, such as a daily walk, and incidental steps, such as those around the house or office or about daily activities.

Not all pedometers are created equal, however. When choosing a pedometer, you need accuracy and reliability. I recommend doing research online with product websites, reading reviews, and scanning research articles so that you are more informed before your purchase and can choose a pedometer that fits both your budget and the way you plan to use it.

Adding physical activity to your daily routine can be as simple as adding a daily walk. Walking is convenient and can take place any time that fits your schedule--in the morning, during lunch, or in the evening. The location of your walks can be simple and flexible, too--around your neighborhood, in nearby parks, at the beach, on local trails, or even around a shopping mall or a theme park. By aiming for 30 minutes daily you'll soon form a positive habit of walking and become more active each week. For the most benefit, combine your daily walks with cardio, strength training, stretching, and a stress reducing activity such as yoga for a well-rounded program for living a balanced, active life.

During summer and early fall in many areas of the country, rain (particularly thunderstorms) can occur almost every afternoon. Although light rain may not interrupt your daily afternoon walk, jog, bike or swim, lightning can be a real safety issue. In addition to lightning, thunderstorms often have heavy winds, hail, and possible tornadoes packed within them--not ideal exercise weather. So when thunderstorms are a possibility, stay wise and try cross-training inside to keep dry and out of Mother Nature's path.

Most of the following cardiovascular exercises can be performed at home indoors. Some may require equipment so taking time to prepare in advance is a good idea.

• Cardio DVDs. I have found that most households have at least one or more aerobic DVDs in their home library. If not, your local library may have these available for checkout. Try to workout to step aerobics, tae-bo, or even walking DVDs.
• FitTV. If your cable provider offers the FitTV channel, take advantage of free aerobic classes of various types for basic aerobics and the like.
• Jumping rope. Although jumping rope requires skill and a moderate degree of fitness, it can be performed on a flat surface such as tile, laminate or hardwood floors.
• Stair climbing. If you have stairs in your home, you can take advantage of a high impact exercise that can be adapted for beginners and advanced exercisers. Beginners can simply walk up and down the stairs. Advanced exercisers can sprint up and down the stair for a greater cardio workout.