Lexington, KY - Most of us have experienced the overwhelming desire to stay in bed after the alarm goes off, especially if it's a Monday morning. But most of us, very quickly, connect the dots and realize that if we don't get out of bed and get going, there will be serious consequences.
However, this "connect the dots" scenario does not seem to work when it comes to dealing with the personal responsibility of exercise. As an exercise professional, one of my most important jobs is to make my clients feel lousy when they don't exercise. It may sound strange, but they must learn this if there is any hope of them becoming a regular, self-motivated exerciser.
It is a fact: exercise does cause mild, temporary discomfort. You do notice it when you are exercising; it does feel different than lying on the couch. This feeling is a major deterrent to most people. As motivational speaker Tony Robbins indicates, avoidance of pain is a stronger motivator than the seeking of pleasure. This is why people let the pain and discomfort of exercise dictate their choices when it comes to working out.
Your decisions are what hold you back and keep you from engaging in a healthy lifestyle, realizing and accepting this personal responsibility is the most important key to unlocking the door to better health. Once you accept this responsibility (which people hate to do), you can begin to move forward.
Helping you get to this place of acceptance is one of the primary roles of a good personal trainer. If you are working with a trainer and you don't feel like they are helping you accept your role in your exercise program, but instead are just leading you around by the nose, telling you what to do without any explanation of why it is important, then you might be working with the wrong trainer. You have to do more than "just do it" -
you have to understand what you are doing and why you are doing it. I firmly believe that the more a person knows and understands about the exercise they are doing, the more likely they are to continue doing it. An uneducated, uninformed person will soon quit their exercise program
This a perfect time of the year to sit down and re-evaluate your life in regards to exercise and health. Spring starts this month; time for things to be renewed. Take a look at yourself. Is inactivity prevalent in your life? If so, do you realize the consequences of this? If you are exercising, do you feel good about your program? Do you think it is giving you what you need to progress through the rest of your life in the healthiest way possible? Do you feel engaged and connected with your exercise program? Do you understand your exercise program, or are you just going through the motions?
Look at yourself, your life, your motivations and rationalizations. Take stock and responsibility in your life, your health. Accept the fact that it is you who are in control of how you take care of your self and your body. Remember that it is inactivity that is painful, not exercise.
If you feel that you are not where you need to be in regards to an exercise program, then get going. Take the responsibility to get this very important part of your life up and running. Take charge of your health and wellness, it's a great feeling.