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EXERCISE AND FITNESS GUIDELINES
Beating the Dropout Odds
The Surgeon General’s Report on Physical Activity and Health summarizes a few main
points:
1. Regular physical activity offers substantial improvements in health and well-
being for a majority of Americans.
2. If you exercise regularly, you’ll reduce your risk of heart attack, cancer,
diabetes, high blood pressure, osteoporosis and even the common cold.
3. Regular exercise, regardless of the intensity, can help you control stress, sleep
problems and depression.
The benefits of exercise and activity are AMAZING! And yet, only 22 percent of
Americans engage in exercise for 20 minutes a day. And even among individuals who
begin exercise programs, the dropout rate is about 50 percent.
So, how do you beat these odds? The answer appears to be in how you start and
maintain your exercise program as well as how you create a habit of exercise.
Why are you starting an exercise program? For most individuals, it is to lose weight
and look better, which are great reasons. However, since changes in your body shape
and size can be gradual, and won’t happen overnight, it is important to focus on other
benefits so that you will remain motivated.
Thrive on the energy that exercise gives you. Watch your health risks scores go
down. Pay attention to how much easier everyday activity is. Notice how much
better you are sleeping. These kinds of additional benefits will continue to keep you
motivated if you make them just as important to you as weight loss.
Additionally, try not to view exercise as punishment. Look at it as an investment in
your health. If you don’t feel motivated to workout one day, think of something that is
appealing to you that is active, and change your workout. Try not to let your workout
become routine or mundane, and always remember that some exercise is better than
none at all. So, if you feel you are not motivated to continue, stop your workout early,
or skip a day. It just might be the thing you need to get you excited about your next
workout.
Possibly the most important thing is to keep progressing your exercise program
slowly. Big increases in time or intensity can set you up for injury, and cause you
to drop out. Unless you are a world-class athlete, there is no reason to workout at
world-class levels. Remember to give yourself some days off and get proper rest.