Tuesday, April 7, 2009

Motivation for Sustainable Exercise

If there was one thing I found most difficult to stick to consistently, it was regular exercise. How about you? I talk in my book about the importance of increasing our activity to raise our heart rate, three to four times a week. I also talk about the 'Stickability' factor but one thing I haven't mentioned is working with our biorhythms.

So let's examine what I mean. Have you ever tried to go to a gym or increase your activity after work or later in an evening? How about 6am in the morning? I can almost hear the shouts of 'No Way' from here! Believe it or not the time of day you set aside for extra physical activity has a huge impact on how you manage to stick to it.

We all have an inbuilt mechanism that regulates the flow of energy in our body. At certain hours of the day there is more energy available to us than at other times. This is due to our personal biorhythm. If we are in tune with it and working to its rhythm, whatever we do will flow more easily and be more enjoyable. Work against your biorhythm and you will always struggle.

For me, my optimum time to exercise is 6am. This is when I am full of energy. Undertaking an activity at that time of day seems to set me up for a positive start. I feel more energetic and find that my mind rarely wanders to thinking about food. When there is an opportunity to get more active during the day I find myself feeling more enthusiastic and resist resistant the 'call to get physical'.

But that is my biorhythm. Yours may very well be quite different. So how do you regulate your increased physical activity to your biorhythm?

1. Take note as to what parts of the day you feel most energetic.

2. If you don't feel you have much energy then note what parts of the day you feel most energised after physical activity

3. Find friends who have the same biorhythms and support each others activity motivation

If you haven't thought about it before, give it a go and see your commitment levels improve.

Chrissie Webber is a published author and weight management motivation coach. Through her online company she offers support, motivation and re-parenting to the 95% - 97% of dieters who are still struggling to find the weight they were born to be. Her web site and blog http://www.chrissiewebber.co.uk/ offer motivation 'Keys' that help children, parents and adults discover a life without guilt, shame and self-loathing. To learn/relearn the skills of 'Conscious Eating' and how to live in harmony with food and nature become an online member today: http://www.lifeshapers.co.uk/

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