Three Exercise Mindset Shifts

Does the thought of “exercise” get you excited or defeated?

Do you LOVE it or HATE it?

Or maybe a little of both?

Chances are if you are in the “HATE It” camp you:

Have tried exercise routines before, but haven’t found one you enjoy
Feel defeated every time you start some new workout because something throws you off track (injury, illness, travel, work schedule, family stress, etc)
Find time to “fit” it in your schedule has been sporadic or inconsistent at best
Not felt up to exercising – lack of energy/motivation
Feel guilty and indifferent at the same time about exercise

If you “LOVE It” chances are you:

Found an exercise routine/s that you truly enjoy
Find it easy to implement into your life no matter what is going on
Have created a consistent routine for exercise
Found exercise actually increases your energy level and helps you cope with stress
Can’t imagine your life without exercise!

If you have a “LOVE/HATE” relationship with exercise, then chances are you:

Found a few exercise routines you somewhat enjoy
Implement these routines when you feel motivated or time allows
Have a consistent routine for awhile then fade out for a season – but consistently return a few months later and start back again
Have experienced the health/weight benefits before
Feel a bit guilty, but also know what to do to get started again when you’re ready.

What category are you?

What category would you like to be?

We all know the many benefits of exercise, but here’s a quick reminder!

TOP 20 Evidence Based Benefits of Exercise:

Increased metabolic rate (takes less to make more energy)
Increased oxygen uptake
Live longer
Lower rate of cardiovascular disease
Lower incidence of type 2 diabetes
Improves body composition
Lower rate of colon cancer
Lower rate of breast cancer
Lower rate of osteoporosis – Supports bone health and bone density
Increased mobility
Improved blood circulation efficiency
Increased mitochondrial size and density – Boosting energy levels
Increased range of motion
Pain relief
Stress relief
Build muscular strength as we age – by building/ maintaining needed muscle mass
Reduces risk of injury
Improves balance
Improves body composition
Elevates emotional state and mood

Who doesn’t want all that!!??

We know it.

We want it.

But we struggle to DO it.

That’s where Coach guidance can be super helpful!

Because…

It’s really our THINKING about exercise that needs to shift … I want to turn your exercise thinking on its head with this evidence based truth:

Study results from Hamilton et al 2008 found that:

It’s really about the amount of sedentary time that correlates to health, not the amount of exercise!!

We have been measuring the wrong thing!! We should be measuring our sedentary time each day vs. our exercise time.

As we’ve worked with clients we’ve seen THREE EXERCISE MINDSET SHIFTS that have helped move them from the Hate It to Love It and gain ALL the health & weight benefits of an active life!!

EXERCISE MINDSET SHIFT #1: Efficiency Mode vs. Movement Mode

We are a society of convenience. For most of us our daily work/tasks involve sitting, very little movement. Our work is more mental vs. physical. And, on top of that, we try to streamline things, make things more efficient, get more done in less time. That’s the modern mentality!

We often apply that efficiency mindset to exercise. What if we started to shift that mindset by:

Stop thinking about how to save the most time and instead…
Start thinking how can I move more? How can I sit less? Take more steps today? Park at the opposite end of the parking lot, take the stairs vs. the elevator. Take a work call while walking outside vs. sitting at your desk. Use the restroom on the end of your building or the opposite floor

Stop trying to be so efficient with your energy/time that you make everything easy and instead…
Start trying to make everything a bit more challenging intentionally. Use the manual tool vs. the automatic one. Carry something heavy vs. putting it in a cart. Walk to the other side of campus to talk with someone vs. picking up the phone. Do home/yard projects yourself vs. hiring it out.

Be surprised at how much more active / more movement your life involves would be if we started thinking how can I move more vs. how can I save more (time, energy). That’s what NEAT is all about: Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis we talk about in the Foundations workshop.

AND… we won’t have saved that much more time in the end! Efficiency doesn’t suffer that much!

EXERCISE MINDSET SHIFT #2: Scheduled To Do vs. How I Live

A sub topic to #1 is this: In our modern world we have compartmentalized exercise. It’s a calendar item. A scheduled block of time we commit to vs. how we live our lives and go about our day.

In our modern world here’s what this could look like:

How can I attach activity to something I already do everyday/week?

Maybe it’s walking on treadmill or lifting weights while watching your favorite show every evening
Or creating a highly active game outside to play with your child after school
Instead of getting together with your girlfriend for coffee, take your outing to a park and trail walk together
Doing household/home/yard chores with more vigor and heavier intensity
Add ankle weights, or weight belt, weight vest to normal everyday activities
How can you get more out of walking your dog? Finding a sloped path? Adding weights? Walking faster?

EXERCISE MINDSET SHIFT #3: It’s about ME vs. the Exercise

What activity do you enjoy doing? No one has to talk you into it? You don’t need motivation for it?

What type of exercise does YOUR personality enjoy? Do you enjoy the social aspect of exercise, or do you prefer to be alone? Do you like the hype of a class setting or the peace of an outdoor walk in the park? Your chronotype (when you have the most energy and your natural circadian rhythm) can also play into this!

What type of exercise does YOUR body type respond best to? Genetically we respond better to either endurance or strength related exercises. Not that we don’t need both, but usually one type trumps the other a bit.

I know I feel better, have more energy, better mental focus/mood when I do more strength training focused (weights vs. running) Others are runners by body type. Find an exercise/movement that fits your body type!

Don’t worry about your best friend’s routine, or the latest workout fad/class (unless it looks like a blast!) You do you.

You explore activity/exercise/movement that YOU find so much fun that you don’t even feel like you’re exercising!!