Related Links: Walking Work | Busting the Barriers
- I'm active for at least 30 minutes (accumulated time) at least 3 days a week
- My activity is at a moderate or vigorous effort
- Regular physical activity is a NEW habit for me
- I'm fairly consistent, but I'm worried about losing my momentum
Did you know?
- Setting specific goals will improve your chances of long term success
- Monitoring your progress will help you stay motivated, and highlight barriers
- Rewards can also be fun and motivating
Sticking To It!
Making a lifetime change can be rewarding and frustrating at the same time. At this stage, when the habit is still a little insecure, there are some strategies you can use to avoid the pitfalls that will cause you to "relapse" into your less active ways.
Staying Motivated!
Set goals:
- Be realistic, and set goals one month at a time. Consider setting goals in the following areas:
- Number of times a week (if you're active at a moderate effort, then you should aim to be active most days of the week. If you're active at a vigorous level, 3 times a week is an appropriate goal)
- Number of minutes a day
Intensity (e.g. gradually increasing your walking pace to a certain number of minutes per mile or kilometre OR raising heart rate to a certain level)
- Distance
- Think about your past successes and what made them work then incorporate some of those ideas
Get Support!
- From friends - find a buddy; meet up with friends interested in active social activities
- From co-workers - find a lunch time walking buddy; avoid scheduling lunch meetings that interfere with your walk; organize work site activities (Walking Club, Poker Walk, Walk to the Moon etc)
- From family - brainstorm ways the whole family can chip in with chores to free up time for active play, or time for you to fit in your physical activity
Try something new!
- Walk a different trail or neighbourhood
- Invite different friends to join you
- Try a drop in exercise class
- Book a session with a personal trainer and learn how to strength train at home
- Try a new activity
Source: Active Living Every Day - 20 Weeks to Lifelong Vitality by Steven N. Blair, Andrea L. Dunn, Bess H. Marcus, Ruth Ann Carpenter, Peter Jaret, Human Kinetics Publishing