Adhere to your exercise program

The physical, psychological, emotional, and social benefits associated with physical activity at all age levels are well documented. So, knowing all the benefits of exercise, how come 50% of those who start a self-monitored exercise program quit within 6 months? 1 out of every 2 people that start an exercise program have stopped. Commonly cited reasons include lack of time, inconvenience, expense, physical discomfort, embarrassment, poor instruction, inadequate support, and loss of interest. Fortunately, certain factors can be addressed to help your chances of developing a habit of exercise.

There have been several personal factors linked to how well a person follows an exercise plan. A foundational personal factor is how you prioritize your values. What do you value? Is good health a primary value to you? If it is not one of your values, then you will not be able to make the difficult, everyday choices necessary to change your overall lifestyle and reach your fitness goal. Often, it becomes a value when the risk of death increases. Therefore, another personal factor is a person’s perceived seriousness of their health. For example, if someone feels that their coronary artery disease poses a real risk to their future health, then that person is more likely to take the necessary steps to reduce that risk (ie. exercise). Another belief linked to how adherent a person is to following an exercise program, is the feeling of control over their health. In other words, “will this exercise help me reach my fitness goals?” The fourth factor is termed "self efficacy". Once sold on the idea that "I have to exercise" and that "ultimately, I have the control of my results”, then self-efficacy is addressed. Self-efficacy is the belief that "I have the ability to do what is required to get the results I want". Once these factors are dealt with, then situational factors need to be addressed.

Time management is an important part of everyone's life and finding time to exercise is vital if an exercise program is to be adhered to. According to guidelines, workout time should be approximately 20 to 60 minutes, although this can be revised depending on whether an individual exercises more than 3-5 times a week or less than 3-5 times a week. Having said that, exercise adherence decreases if workout times exceed 60 minutes.

In scheduling your workout time it is important to allow a good period of time before and after your workout for travel time, changing, showering etc. These considerations should be incorporated into your overall time set aside for exercise. It is a good idea to set aside specific times in the week when you can exercise free from any possible time conflicts. Getting into a weekly exercise routine with which you feel comfortable will aid in your exercise adherence.

If you are serious about adhering to your exercise program it may be necessary to forgo another extra-curricular activity in order to make time to exercise. You have to identify where your priorities lie and be prepared to possibly make sacrifices.

Lack of energy is often cited as an excuse for not exercising. Although there will be days when you don't feel like exercising because you are too tired or lack energy, it is important to try and do part of your exercise program, or run through your workout at a lower intensity level.

Exercise will very often revitalize you and enable you to complete your program as normal. It is important that you identify in which part of the day you feel most energized so that you can schedule your workout around that time. Some people prefer to exercise in the early morning, some later at night. Try to arrange your weekly schedule so that you can exercise when you feel most able to exercise.

Nutrition plays an important part in exercise. Meal times can often physiologically affect your energy levels. It is important that you don't feel hungry while working out as this will psychologically and physiologically detract from your exercise focus. In saying this, it is also important that you don't exercise immediately after eating a large meal.

Good social support is vital for good exercise adherence. You must have the backing of your family and friends if you are going to remain faithful to your exercise program. Your family must be aware that there may be occasions when you will be home late or up early in order to exercise. Your spouse, in particular, must be understanding and accepting of this. Your friends must also be supportive and should try to avoid scheduling events which may interfere with your exercise time.

It is up to you to make sure that your family and friends understand how important your exercise program is to you. That way, you can avoid any potential conflicts of distractions which will affect your exercise adherence.

The environment in which we exercise is very influential in terms of exercise adherence. Make sure that you have enough space to perform your exercises, that the temperature is comfortable and that there is adequate air circulation. Consider that maybe art, sounds and/or fragrances could help to make your exercise environment more pleasant. The weather, can also affect your exercise program. If it's too hot or too cold, too dry or too wet, seasonal elements can affect your activity. Allergies, icy surfaces, summer time at mid-day can be dangerous when combined with physical activity. By being able to maintain a regular exercise routine, irrespective of the weather, you can ensure that you have high exercise adherence.

Physical discomfort can cause people to fore go the whole idea of exercise.  Well, understand that exercise is not easy, or it wouldn't be exercise at all.  Rather, there is an inherent amount of discomfort associated with exercise.  Note the word ‘discomfort' as opposed to pain.  It is important to be able to distinguish between the two, as any pain experienced may warrant a visit to your physician.  But a bit of discomfort is normal to an extent, it's just up to you to do what you can to minimize it.

Considering these factors will help you to avoid becoming a statistic. Be thoughtful and purposeful when it comes to your health. You are worth it.

This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet.