Motivated to Take the First Step
Choose activities you like to do – Walking is the most popular activity among adult Canadians, and gardening is a close second
Start slowly –being stiff and sore is hard on the ego
Set realistic goals – Set yourself up for success. Don’t plan to spend 1 hour 4 times a week at a gym, when you know you don’t have the time. Consider scheduling two 15 minute walks each week for the next 2 weeks. Give yourself a pat on the back, and write a new plan for the following two weeks.
Remind yourself of the benefits of being active – Staying focused on why it is important to you, can help you priorize activity in your busy life
Choose an active activity for a family or social gathering – Visit the local pool or lake, play in the park, go public skating, play soccer etc
Staying Motivated After a Few Weeks
Review your Goals – have some fun setting new goals around intensity, type of activity, and time
Give yourself a reward for being active – now that you’ve set realistic goals, it is important to treat yourself when you’ve been successful
Set a goal to walk or run in a fundraiser – A walk or run is planned for most summer weekends to raise money for a good cause. A 5 km walk will take about an hour at a brisk pace. A 5 km run will take 30 to 40 minutes at an average pace. Starting 3 months before the date, follow a plan to gradually increase the time and pace of your walk, or your run. www.pinkribbonsports.com has a basic beginner’s training booklet for both walkers and runners, complete with stretches and tips.
Track your progress on a calendar – challenge your family or your co-workers to walk, or be active a certain number times each week
Join a walking club because Walking Works
Beat the Boredom Blues
While some of us can’t wait to "exercise", doing the same thing each week can become boring. Consider the following ideas to spice things up.
- Buy a portable CD player and borrow "books on CDs" from the library
- Find or borrow a dog
- Find a buddy – better yet, a group of buddies
- Walk different routes – checking out the gardens and the house renovations
- Do "interval training" – increase your speed for 1 minute, then slow back down to your regular pace (this builds fitness, and works for walking as well as the other cardiovasular activities). Find a hilly route, or a set of stairs.
- Run a Poker Walk Challenge at work or in your neighbourhood – Choose a two week period; Get active for 30 minutes- get a playing card; Get active 5 times – get a Poker Hand; best poker hand wins
- Try something new, or do a different activity each day – walk, bike, swim, dance, drop-in aerobics, toboggan, ski, skate, throw snowballs, fitness video