Sticking with it: How to keep going
For many older adults or elderly people, the motivation to continue exercising and partaking in physical activity once they have started and made it apart oft heir every day lives is not really a problem. Most people say that regular physical activity makes them feel so much better that in fact it would be hard to stop! Physical activity absolutely needs to be a regular, permanent habit to produce real and long-term benefits.
However, no matter how enthusiastic you may be about exercise, there may be times when you need some extra motivation to help keeping on. It's quite common for beginner exercisers (especially those who are frail) to make fast progress at first but may be discouraged when these improvements taper off a little.
It's a great idea to consider some external motivators, for example ways to keep exercises such as walking more interesting. Here are some suggestions:
- Grab yourself an exercise buddy. Older adults and people your age can be a great regular option, however also consider using this time to catch up with younger friends and family members to kill a few birds with one stone.
- Listen to recorded books or music while you partake in endurance activities. IPods may seem a little technologically daunting but are in fact extremely simple to use. You can borrow recorded books from a local library.
- Set goals, and decide on a reward you will get when you reach it.
- Keep a good record of your exercise and progress as an encouragement tool. Understand that there will be times that progress is less rapid but you are still benefiting from activities during those times.
- Plan ahead for factors such as travel, bad weather and house guests to ensure you are still able to go ahead with exercises without skipping. For example, if the weather forecast predicts rain, hire an exercise video to help you exercise indoprs.
Additionally, according to a report released by the US Surgeon General, you are far more likely to continue with your physical activity regime if you:
- Do believe and think that overall you will benefit from each exercise
- Include activities that you enjoy
- Feel that you can complete every activity correctly and safely
- Have regular access to each activity
- Can fit the activities into your daily schedule
- Feel that the activities don't impose financial or social costs you aren't willing to take on
- Have few negative consequences from doing your activities (such as an injury, last time during the day or negative peer pressure)
As stated previously, don't be discouraged if your results are improving only slowly perhaps by a few seconds or one or two lifts of a weight. In relation to real-life benefits, these slight improvements can be multiplied many times over as they are included in everyday activities. Everything adds up!