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Hate Exercise? Try These Top Tips!

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Published: 25Mar2010
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Exercise gets quite a bit of bad press, in my view! Of course we are all told we need to do it, and plenty of it, but rather than seeing it as something we want to fit into our lives for pleasure, this can often make us feel like it's an arduous task that we really don't want to do, but have to.

Maybe it's the word 'exercise' and its association with school work? Really, what we all need to be doing is getting more active. This doesn't mean driving to the gym and jumping on a cross trainer to plod away for endless minutes, but means moving more on a regular basis, throughout the day and building movement into the fabric of life.

Don't beat yourself up if family commitments mean you can't get to the gym - instead go for a long brisk walk or a bike ride as a family, or play games in the garden. Perhaps you could take up an active sport: surfing, windsurfing, kitesurfing, kayaking, football, martial arts, stand-up paddle surfing - there are so many things out there to get involved in and it's never too late! If you find yourself saying 'yes, but...' to ideas, finding reasons not to get involved in anything, try to re-phrase your thinking to 'yes, and (that sounds fun, I wonder where we can do it)'. There are so many activities out there and it's a great way to spend quality time with other people while getting fit at the same time.

As for sneaking activity into your daily life, you have certainly heard it all before, but you really must put it into action - have a policy that you never get in a lift but always take the stairs, for example. I used to do this when I worked with a guy who had the opposite policy of never taking the stairs. Instead of sit-down meetings, we would grab a coffee and go for a walk around (while he smoked a cigarette, but I least I got him walking!). When we got back into the building, however, he would refuse to get the stairs, so we'd meet back upstairs instead - and of course I invariably got there first.

It also used to drive me mad when I heard people in the office going on about 'going to the gym 3 times a week' but then seeing them get in the lift every time! They would be the ones who had also used that gym visit to justify an extra-large lunch or an afternoon snack. 'Going to the gym' is not necessarily equivalent to actually doing anything useful when you get there and it can be a great excuse to 'take it easy' for the rest of the day.

Most people will get more of a fitness benefit from going up the stairs a few times a day than 'cruising' on a machine at the gym, while watching TV or reading a magazine then slobbing out or eating more because they have 'earnt it'.

Don't let yourself believe exercise is something hateful you have to do. Look for all the reasons why getting active will make you feel good and then choose to exercise because you want to. Make sure you choose things that are worthwhile and fun - if you can combine a walk with a meeting or spending time with family you are getting more out of your time than if you do that at a gym, staring mindlessly at a TV screen.

Keep the focus on activity and movement and use your exercise sessions at the gym for quality exercise, not just passing the time!

Caroline Radway is a certified Personal Trainer who wants you to get the fitness and fat loss results that you deserve. She has developed her M.I.R.A.C.L.E Success System and S.I.M.P.L.E. Nutrition System that are proven to get results, fast! Find out more by joining the free member site for resources and ongoing advice => http://carolineradway.ning.com

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