I have a
solution! Small changes over a longer
period of time are doable. Healthy changes, including exercise, should be
for life. Exercise
comes in many different forms and it is important to find an activity you enjoy
and can maintain. Many are under the
impression exercise has to be excruciating (no pain, no gain), but that is not
the case. It may not feel enjoyable,
like a bubble bath, but it should not feel like going to the dentist (my
significant stressor).
I love pedometers! They
measure the number of steps taken. I
have an inexpensive, reliable pedometer I purchased online (about $10-$15 with
shipping). Once I started wearing a
pedometer I stopped asking my son to walk upstairs to get something and started
doing it myself! It was a challenge to
see how many steps I could get in a day.
I started parking further away at the grocery store. At work I made an effort to walk around the
block during a break and after lunch.
It is recommended to take 10,000 steps per day. Ten thousand steps correlates to the General
Surgeons recommended 30 minutes of physical activity most days of the week. What if you only take 1,500 steps a day? It’s a starting point - strive for 2,000,
then 3,000. Every little bit helps! Pay attention to how you feel physically and
psychologically. Achieving short-term
goals almost always motivates one to push a little further. You can do it!
