LEARNING FROM REGULAR EXERCISERS

It’s midsummer, hot, humid, threatened by thunderstorms and hurricanes.  You are tired and sticky, a bit grumpy and the last thing you feel like doing is working out.  You’ve reached a choice point:  do you join the 50% of folks who start a program of physical activity and then quit, or stay with the other half who stick with it in spite of obstacles?

Recent research of regular exercisers divided the exercisers into three groups as reported in Health & Fitness Journal of the American college of Sports Medicine:
1)  autonomous exercisers who exercise independently of structured programs (AEs)
2)  program enrollees who use structured exercise programs (PEs)
3)  exercisers who exercise both autonomously and in structured programs (BEs)
All the exercisers agreed on their top four reasons for participating in exercise on a regular basis:
1)  fitness
2)  weight management
3)  appearance / looks
4)  fun
The BEs responded the most positively, and also reported positive effects on sleep, energy, alertness.  To maintain their physical activity, BEs often participate with a friend or a group and like the AEs, most made exercise a priority.  All three types do aerobic activity, but the BEs are more like to do strength and flexibility training; while almost none of the PEs did flexibility training.  The BEs established habits to support their physical activity such as preparing, scheduling, packing, and “just doing it” and had the widest variety of activity types.  Having this wide variety of activities optimizes choices based upon psychosocial and psychosensory reasons.  For example, some days, we may feel like we need some alone, “down time” to think things through and choose to exercise by ourselves; other times the energetic support of being with others in a structured program may give us just the extra motivational boost we need.  Some days the loud, heart-thumping music, and moves of an aerobic step class may be just the “spark plug” to get us moving; other days, a solitary swim with no sound but the water and the feel of buoyancy may be just what we need for stress management.

The bottom line is to engage in both structured and autonomous physical activity, arrange a schedule to make exercise a priority, keep workout clothes, shoes, and other fitness needs handy, and choose whatever physical activity is best for you on any given day.  Variety is the spice of motivation and adherence.  Enjoy!