Getting Ready to Exercise: The Proof is in the Planning

What is it about exercise that we just can’t warm up to? Maybe it is the fact that it seems like work or that we have to drop everything to do it. It doesn’t sound like an easy proposition. The trouble with exercise might just be because there is a lack of planning going on.

Think about it: Would you take a vacation on the spur of the moment? If you did, you’d be sleeping in your car or worse, in a flea-bag motel. The same thing is true of other areas of your life, yes, including fitness. Lack of planning or poor planning leads to disastrous results.

We all know that we need exercise in our day. What does exercise do for us? In case you have forgotten, here are just some of the numerous benefits:

· Increased energy (for family and friends)

· Increased mood (staying motivated at work and at home)

· Weight loss (look good in that bikini or those Speedos)

· Longevity (live to see your grandkids grow up)

· Zest for life (anything is possible)

Those sound like great benefits, huh? Of course they are which makes you wonder why it’s so easy to put it exercise and healthy living on the back burner.

One complaint about exercise is that it takes too much time. If you are busy with parenting, career, extracurricular activities and such, there is no perfect place to add in exercise. So, it gets sacrificed for other things. The problem is that exercise is not considered a priority.

Big mistake!

Just look back up at the list above and you’ll see reasons that exercise SHOULD be a priority in your life.

What happens when you lose your energy? You also lose your focus. Those 15 minutes that you spend trying to “get it back together” is just enough time for a short workout session.

So, what if you scheduled exercise just like you do everything else in your day? Add it into your schedule so that it is given a place of importance and not relegated to your “I will do if I have time” list.

Prepare a place to work out so that when it is time, all you have to do is show up and get started. That place could be a corner of your living room, dining room, home office, or garage. Let it be a dedicated spot where you can place your equipment (if needed) off to one side without being intrusive, but still readily accessible when the time comes to workout.

Instead of taking ten minutes to find your dumbbells and move clothes, you can start immediately. That 15 minute workout is just that – only 15 minutes! Once you’ve completed it, you’re free to do the next thing on your list.

When exercise is planned for, it works into our schedules just like ballet recitals and sports practices. You reap the benefits of increased energy and a more productive nature therefore, a longer, happier life too!