I was shopping recently at a big box outlet, and they had already placed Christmas merchandise on sale. I could hear good ‘ol Charlie Brown saying,”Good grief!”
The reality is, Christmas and New Year’s are right around the corner. Soon we’ll be flooded with commercials about New Year’s Resolutions, including our need to exercise.
Why can’t we keep our exercise resolutions? Excessive office hours? Overbooked family schedules? Regardless of the reason, let me share with you the exercise framework I’ve used to manage my low- back pain for the last 20 years. Hopefully you can tailor it for yourself.
First, create achievable goals. Start small. If you can only go for a brisk walk for 20 minutes for 3 days a week, start there. It’s better to create achievable goals, and celebrate your accomplishments. Expand your exercise program later.
Next, choose exercise that’s fun. If you hate distance running, don’t do it. Be creative; try new forms of exercise. If you try something new and don’t like it, don’t get discouraged – move on. The key here is to have fun and remain active..regularly.
Ok, so you’ve set achievable goals for fun, regularly scheduled exercise. Anything else? One last suggestion: you need the right motivation. You’re probably asking, “What does that mean?”
I define the right motivation as “a goal beyond one’s own self with accountability.” For me, my motivation is coaching my sons’ soccer teams. Seems basic enough, right? So how can this be a right motivation? First, this is quality time I spend with my sons. Second, coaching soccer requires me to keep my lower back healthy so I can demonstrate the game. So I have a motivation that is beyond one’s own self (my sons’ happiness) and has accountability, requiring me to keep my lower back healthy. This is the right motivation I need to help me exercise when I’ve had a long day and would rather relax in front of the TV.
I hope this helps. By the way, why wait for the New Year? Get exercising…right now!
Today’s guest blogger is Christian Miles, CPT, CPA, MBA. He is the President of the Global Exercise Group – an Internet based exercise education company focused on helping individuals suffering from lower-back pain by using a holistic approach. He can be reached at any of the following:
Website: www.globalexercisegroup.com
Email: info@globalexercisegroup.com
Twitter: @globalexercise
drdianesanford.com 