Starting an Exercise Program:
The Right Time Is Now

By Mary Ellen Copeland, M.S., M.A.

cont.

Difficulty Beginning or Sticking to an Exercise Program

Like most people, you may have difficulty beginning or sticking to an exercise program. You may feel that you don't have time, that it interferes with other responsibilities and that you won't enjoy it. Perhaps one or several of the following suggestions would help you to resolve this problem:

• Consider your exercise time as fun or "play" time, not as work. Everyone needs and deserves to have time to play.
• Ask friends and/or family members to exercise with you.
• Reward yourself each time you exercise or after you have followed your exercise plan for a specific length of time. You could put aside a dollar each time you exercise to save for something you have been wanting like an article of clothing, a CD or a meal at a restaurant you enjoy. After a week of successful exercise, you might treat myself to a healthy lunch out with a special friend. After exercising becomes part of your routine, you won't need to reward yourself, as you will find that the exercise itself is ample reward.
• Combine exercise with other strategies you use to keep yourself well, such as:

  1. Using a light box;
  2. Focusing on positive thoughts; and/or
  3. Connecting with family members and supporters.

• Schedule exercise at the same time each day to provide structure and help to insure continuation of your exercise program.
• If you find it difficult to exercise in the winter and in bad weather, you may want to get a piece of exercise equipment such as an exercise bicycle or rowing machine. You can often find these at very low prices in the bargain sections of the newspaper (being sold by people who had good intentions but never followed through), at second hand stores or at local "swap shops."

Avoid sabotaging yourself. If you miss a day, several days or even weeks of exercise, don't give up and stop exercising. Just start in again. If you have a long hiatus or have stopped exercising because of an injury or illness, start again gradually.

Keeping Track Can Keep You on Track

Regular exercise has many benefits. It may help you to stick to your exercise regime if you keep a record of your exercise and how it makes you feel. Each time you exercise, write a few sentences in a notebook that describe what you did, how you felt before you did it, how you felt after you did it, and any short- or longer-term benefits you are noticing. This helps to keep you on track and, if you review your writings from time to time, can be a strong motivator to continue your program.

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