Dislike exercising? You are definitely not alone. At any time during the year, thousands of folks across the country commit to working out only to fall off the wagon weeks later.
Why does exercising feel so hard and can you learn to like it more?
Exercise feels like a chore perhaps because of misconceptions surrounding this behavior.
One option to begin to change your relationship with physical activity is to reconsider some of the most-repeated exercise-related myths.
Myth #1: You Need to Exercise X Minutes a Day for X Days a Week
There is no magic number. The real magic begins by simply moving your body more. Do not focus on a number; instead, focus on creating a sustainable habit, moving your body more each day, and maintaining consistency with this behavior change.
Myth #2: Exercise is Boring
Bored? You may not be doing the right exercise for you. No one says you must take a spinning or yoga class. No one says you must run 5 miles a day or complete 100 squats a day.
What do you enjoy? If you like dancing, take dance classes every week. Do you like to swim? Maybe you used to play tennis and it would be fun to get back into it.
Selecting physical activities that are interesting, meaningful, or fulfilling is less likely to produce exercise experiences of boredom.
Myth #3: No Pain, No Gain
There are important differences between soreness and pain. Soreness is an expected experience when increasing the frequency or intensity of physical activity. Pain can be an indication of injury or a need to pause your exercise efforts and perhaps consult with a physician.
In general, go slow and pace yourself. Such an approach facilitates the development of sustainable behavior change.
Working with a skilled, experienced psychologist, therapist, or counselor can help you learn new skills to better navigate your relationship with exercise. If you are interested in therapy to explore your relationship with your self and your health-related behaviors and values, I invite you to call or email me to get started working together. Telehealth appointments are available.
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