Exercise: A quiz -- Are you a likely exercise drop-out?

Every Wednesday is Tip Day (or Quiz Day).
This Wednesday – A quiz: Are you a likely exercise drop-out?

I discovered THE KEY to my Happiness Project. What is it? Resolutions. It has been the ability to make and keep my innumerable resolutions that has allowed me make real changes in my life, and therefore in my happiness. (As always, if you’d like to get a copy of my Resolutions Chart, for inspiration, just email me at grubin, then the "AT" sign, then gretchenrubin "DOT COM." Just write "resolutions chart" in the subject line).

One resolution that many people make and break is the resolution to EXERCISE. Exercise is a key to good health, and for me, has always been essential to feeling calm and cheerful. In fact, when I’m feeling blue, one of the best ways to shake the mood is to exercise. The Big Man is exactly the same way. On Sunday, he was feeling low, and a trip to the gym chirked him up considerably.

And even if I don’t feel better, at least I have the satisfaction of knowing that I exercised.

I’m fascinated by the question of why sometimes people are able to stick to resolutions, and some people aren’t – and what steps people can take to help themselves stick to their resolutions. There are a lot of factors, of course, in each individual’s case.

I have a friend who is a yoga instructor and a friend who is a strength-training trainer. I asked them if they recognized any warning signs in people who are likely NOT to stick to a resolution to start exercising.

They both agreed that there are warning signs. So take this quiz. If you recognize yourself in the statements below, beware. You may need to make a special effort to stick to a program. Check off any statement that sounds like it could have come out of your mouth:

“This time, I’m really going to stick to it! I mean it, I’m totally, 100% committed!”
This person sounds like he’s trying to convince himself but not really succeeding.

“I’m potentially thinking that maybe I might join this class.”
This person hasn’t really made up his mind. He’s not committed. Although he sounds very different, he's actually an awful lot like the person who says…

“I have to start TOMORROW. No delay!”
This person is afraid that she’s going to lose her resolve. It’s probably happened to her before.

“Well, afternoons don’t work. And I can’t do mornings. I can come Tuesdays at noon, but not this Tuesday. Or next Tuesday...”
The President of the United States works out almost every day! If people really want to exercise, they find the time.

“I’ll squeeze it in at lunchtime. I can just run out between meetings.”
This person hasn’t acknowledged to himself that exercise must be its own priority, and if he doesn’t do that, it’ll always get shoved to the bottom of the to-do list. Which means it won't happen.

“I can’t wait to start. But first, I need to buy some new clothes. And some new shoes. And a mat. And I want to read up on it, too.”
I had a roommate like this. She loved shopping and everything involved in the preparation stage. But once she had all the stuff she needed for yoga or roller-blading or whatever, she lost interest.

If any of these statements remind you of yourself, use it as a warning sign to re-commit yourself to sticking to your exercise plan.

Sometimes it helps to tell yourself that you’re just going to do it for six months. That doesn’t sound too onerous. Both instructors agreed that once people have kept up a program for six months, the exercise has become part of their routine, and it becomes much less likely that they’ll drop out. Also, if you really just can't fit it in, or make yourself do it, try to go for a twenty-minute walk each day. Or two ten-minute walks. Even that much exercise is so much better than nothing.

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Comments

[Adam Steer, Momentum Wellness]

I've found one of the biggest hurdles for my clients is getting to the point where they feel like they have some "traction" or "momentum." When you don't feel like you've made any progress yet towards your goal / resolution, it is easy to justify eating "just one croissant" or skipping "just one training session."

Goals can seem big and distant sometimes. It's important to break them up and have micro-plans to get to that big thing that you have resolved to achieve. This empowers you by making the path a bit more clear, and gives you smaller milestones to gain traction on. There is a handy tool called the Training Hierarchy Pyramid that was designed by coach Scott Sonnon for just this purpose. I posted about it a few months ago here... http://coachsteer.typepad.com/coachsteer/2008/07/csts-training-hierarchy-pyramid.html I have a better post about it somewhere but can't find it (I really need to catalog my posts...).

Cheers,
Adam

[Adam Steer, Momentum Wellness]

I found the better post (mentioned in the comment above). Here it is:
http://coachsteer.typepad.com/coachsteer/2008/06/beyond-thinking-big.html

Cheers,
Adam

[Baba Yaga]

"Also, if you really just can't fit it in, or make yourself do it, try to go for a twenty-minute walk each day. Or two ten-minute walks. Even that much exercise is so much better than nothing."

Given that the WHO recommendation is for 30 minutes of moderate (i.e,, just breath-quickening) exercise, 5 days per week, it's not just better than nothing, it's pretty close. And 10-minute chunks are manageable for most people.

The other trick is to combine exercise with something else one enjoys - listening to audiobooks, spending time with a friend, so on and so forth. (Or, reversing the principle, to turn chores one hates into exercise - if I scrub the bath hard and fast, it might even means the job gets done faster.) I have been known to knit while on an exercise bike - there's bonus exercise in periodically chasing after a dropped ball before it wraps itself around the pedals.

[Sarah]

This has nothing to do with today's post, but I just watched your one-minute movie for the first time and I am crying at my desk at work!!

It's fantastic--thanks for the reminder that even the things that sometimes feel mundane or even annoying are life. I'll try to remember that tonight when my daughter is throwing her food on the floor.

Thanks for the resolution chart too!

[Paul]

My biggest problem is actually taking breaks (voluntary or otherwise) from my routine. I work hundreds of miles from home, and stay near work 4 days a week. If I take a break, say a couple of weeks over Christmas at home, it completely breaks my routine and I find it takes weeks or months to get back into the flow where I have set times for exercise and 'just do it'.

The other thing which really messes me up is illness - it creates a break in the routine, but also makes you weaker and it's harder to get back into regular exercise. This year has been a nightmare for me - it took until March to re-establish the routine after the Christmas break, then in April I was taken ill and found it very difficult for a few months; then another bout in August, from which the routine is still disrupted. And this is with an established routine which I've been following for 4-5 years now, of exercise 4 or 5 days out of 7.

If you're recovering from illness, the boundary between "I'm tired but I know I'll feel better after I get some exercise" and "I don't feel well enough to do anything" is quite a fine line, and forcing things can actually set you back further.

[Linda]

For me there is no resolve, only habits. I keep my gym gear in the car all the time, so I am always ready to go to the gym. And I go before I go home, because if I get home, I'm not going out.

[beth_nc]

I am one of those who get caught up in the preparation stage, wanting to read, think, research the topic. Reading an article about exercise is easier than exercising - and somehow it feels like making progress. It's easy to kid myself.

[Annette]

For me, I think that exercise (where possible) should be an organic part of my day. Like taking the stairs instead of the elevator, walking or cycling instead of driving, etc.

I also think it helps to find a form of exercise that is enjoyable for the sake of it (not necessarily for the enjoyment of the payoff of exercising, which was never compelling enough to me), and then it doesn't feel like "exercising", it just feels like fun. For me, that's dancing. :)

[parce]

Very interesting post

[Dave]

This is a great post! I know people who fit every one of these categories! haha I tried going to the gym for quite some time, but eventually seemed to stop going every 4 months- and that isn't really an option with weight training. I decided to move my exercise routine outdoors, and now I hike, ski, jog, climb, and bike around the colorado mountains. I think sometimes if you are having trouble keeping up with your exercise routine, it can't hurt to sweeten the deal a bit! ;) Meaning, do something that is fun- and gets you outside moving and sweating. :)

[Patti]

My Yoga instructor used to say if you're talking about it, you're not doing it. Just do it!

I practice an hour and a half yoga every day and it is scheduled into every day at the same time (like brushing my teeth) & everything else goes around it. But It's all or nothing for me. I lose interest & momentum if I exercise only a few days a week.

[James]

I've written and entire blog about starting to exercise and then quitting and getting fat then going back to it again in hopes that it will at least inspire some one not to do the same thing as me... http://www.paunchiness.com I think the biggest problem is not sticking with it after you fail to see any results after the first day.

[Donna]

My biggest challenge was learning HOW to exercise, which I always did, but with physical disabliities, I have RA and I am on an oxygen machine. I'd always been BUSY HAPPY and exercised through 30 years of Fibromyalgia syndrome and other physical problems, I have honestly been hit by a drunk driver 5 times. I found the doctors to be on no help and I had no such forum in those days. I had a locked shoulder for 5 years and all it took was a series of cortisone injections to clear it up. It took 5 years and alot of money and sad or upset or depressed? I guess part of me was but I ANXIOUSLY did everything a normal person does, terrified the whole time. My own biological family is no help, that's a different story other than to say I do not have a great family, at all. Everyone's always told me I am so happy go lucky and have such a good attitued.I've never figured that out. I TELL the doctors, family, others that it hurts, and I do NOT like it, and I was/am NOT happy about it, but I survived. I never thought about happiness except in our own little family of 4. I did my unique? thing our daughter says and we were happy. Then when I was 40, my lungs started to go, lung disease, and I've been on oxygen and housebound for 10 years now. I've found things I love to do that was never a problem, but then from the age of 39 until just 2007 our son was a drug addict. No one did anything to try and help me, some call it enabling but he was my CHILD legally, morally and with love. They tell me that was what ruined what waa left of my health. Now at 54 I am alone and I do have alot of physical disabilities, and the oxygen issue. I went through the crying sadness, anger, mourning, and finally just came to be quiet, existing I guess waiting for the next thing, or die. When I was hoapitalized last year, I was given a therapist who taught me how to exercise still in ways that would not hurt me and DH spent out life savings on a hot tub that is in our garage, and I can still wear my oxygen tube. I MISS getting outside, I had many happiness routines that I came to on my own that I read about now, and they are great but cannot work for me anymore, I can't drive, get outside, some days I can't talk or walk and I can NEVER bend or squat. Some days I can't type and I've honestly felt like a stroke victim. I have possessions for what I love to do, my artwork, but I MISS getting outside and I don't know how to deal with that yet. When I find myself upset or sad or panicing watching the months go by, I was such an out of doors person, it makes me sad or angry, and I pull the shades and sit in the dark room so I cannot see outside, it feels better than seeing it out of the window. Making new friends, I always loves people, I was an advocate, I worked with kids and now I am alone unable to get out of her until DH comes home at night for a few hours. He drives 75 miles to and from work and I know how tired my beloved husband of 32 years is. I feel guilt about what I cannot do anymore or guilt? I MISS DOING THEM, last night of all things I decided to make him a special meal, I can't cook much anymore and I always made our food from scratch, breat, jelly, you name it. Well a paper towel was too close to this new cooktop stove my grown daughter got for me and it fell onto my oxygen tube. FIRE FIRE FIRE!
I have to wear support hose for edema, it burned right through my pants and the nylon burned into my leg.. I yelled for my DH and I had it out by the time he came up. I THREW my tube, which was spouting 5 feet of FIRE from it, and it was snaking and burned out carpet and other things until he got the machine turned off. I got to a chair and he got a new tube to tht oxygen machine for me and my sats, oxygen saturation were so low, 79. that I am LUCK to be here today. So my whole life I've had LUCK after a tradgedy or accident. My doctor says this is the only reason that I am still alive. I'd like to feel good though! Even if only mentally. And I am lonely. I can't even talk on the phone as a backup. So for 10 years I just get through the days, some days calm, other days crying, other days as if nothing has ever happened! The doctor said as a result of coping with terminal illness or chronic illness I HAD to have an antidepressant. I am on 21 medications and inhalers already.I tried them like a good girl and they almost drove me crazy so now they have decided that all I need is xanax for anxiety if I feel the need. DUH, I told them. So here I am
in the house, I love that I can exercise STILL and I spent my time trying to find what food, vitamins, etc are good for me and I've had to accept that what I used to make in minutes now takes me a week. The thing is you NEVER get used to it, you wake up with all of the thoughts that you have for the day of what you'd love to do, then boom, reality. By the time I make it to my deak and start the ritual of 2 hours of pill taking and inhalers, I think it's the meds, I feel empty or sad or just not like getting up some days.mostdays. I have moved ALL of my art supplies into what used to be our eat in kitchen, under the bed and what was our son's old bedroom. LOL The trouble is using my arms and I cannot squat or bend at all, never and I have no help. But I am on an upswing now, I was in Lani's group and of course with my luck I never got the the email and I was getting upset and sad, another reinforcement of my life or how it goes, or how I am, but I am looking, reading and trying!

The things suggested are wonderful! Things I did and ways I thought my whole life. Dad who just died said I was the only person tha the ever met who could have fun at a worm fight. The family and friends would say Donna makes a party wherever she goes. Well now that I can't no one does.

I have to learn how to apply some of the things I am reading in a very disabled state but with a VERY WILLING mind I would give ANYTHING to find improvement and things that I CAN CAN CAN DO
I'd love to learn how to meet new people/FRIENDS too, but with not being able to drive or get out, what I have attempted has not worked.

But I have my new exercise routines that I CAN do and that is one thing to be grateful for, I'd still like to see people. Who would have thought, me stuck in the house, sick and alone for the most part. I love reading evverything here. Thank You Lani
I guess it was not meant for me to get the email for the Happiness challenge but I am going to keep looking and trying,
love
Donna
donnalb@newsguy.com