Walk Talk Series

Day 67 –  Bust that Excuse Motivation

Affirmation of the Day

Today and Everyday, I am becoming more and more powerful.

Today’s Walk: Health/Recovery Walk:

• 45-90 minute walk in the healthy heart zone 50-60% of your maximum heart rate
• Warm up with 5 minutes at a very easy pace
• Find a safe spot with a wall or pole to do a 5 minute easy stretching routine
• Now resume your walk at a comfortable pace
• End with 5 minutes of gentle stretching

 

Are You Walking or Exercising as Often as You should?
Consistency is important for maintaining a healthy habit.

• Do you walk at least 3 days a week?

• Most days of the week?

• Are you just a weekend warrior?

• What goal should you set to increase your walking or exercise?

Keeping The Momentum To Exercise

Exercising has so many great benefits including increased energy levels, weight loss, stress alleviation and disease reduction, to name a few. The only dilemma despite all these amazing benefits is that it’s not always easy to create a steady workout routine or even get motivated to get up and work out. Here is a short list of tips that can help keep up your momentum to exercise.

Hopefully these tips will help you next time you are considering working out or not, or when thinking about giving in sooner than you should. It’s all about finding fun exercises that you enjoy doing and keeping the momentum once you’re there.

1. Stay Positive.

Instead of saying “I don’t know if I’ll make it” or “I feel like giving up.” Tell yourself  ”I can do this!” or “I can go a little more.” Staying positive will boost esteem and give you the confidence to keep going.

2. It’s More Mental than Physical.

Often times we might quit running sooner than we should or drop the weights a few reps too early. This is typically caused because our mind tells us its time to stop, but our body is physically capable of doing more. We then wonder why we have not achieved the results we want, which results in lost motivation. Our body will do only what our mind tells it to, so if your head says, “I need to stop” or “I’m tired” that will reflect on what your body does. Don’t let your mind give in before your physical limits and you will achieve greater success. Push past your comfort zone. Success is achieved when we push past the ordinary and into the extraordinary.

3. Find Fun Activities That You Enjoy Doing. 

Exercise does not have to consist of one or two hours at the gym or running for 45 minutes if that is something you do not enjoy. While that works for some, it does not work for all. There is an abundance of activities that can be fun and help burn calories and shed the pounds. Try jumping on a trampoline for 30 minutes you will be sweating more than If you did your walk! What a fun way to exercise and feel like a kid again. Try activities like playing a sport with friends, swimming, taking a nature hike or Sunday Reset.

 

4. Create a Mind, Body, and Spirit Balance.

We all need a balance of exercise, nutritious foods, mental learning, and spiritual insights to help us lead happier, healthier lives. It’s important to decide what activities you like to do to fulfill those needs. Everyone’s activity can differ depending on individual lifestyle choices as well as your mentality and beliefs.Find activities that you like for each and create a consistent habit to keep your balance.

 

 

Here’s some examples to do to fill the mind, body and spiritual needs:

• Mind: listen to audio books, read health and wellness articles
• Body: running, cardio workouts and eating a plant-based diet
• Spirit: meditation and yoga

Excuses! – Excuses! – Excuses!

Why aren’t you walking? What excuse is keeping you from stepping out the door or onto the treadmill? We can come up with some pretty good reasons not to exercise. But when we rationalize why we could not possibly add any exercise to our daily routine, we miss out on a very effective weight loss tool.

Exercise Excuse Busters

If you have been wanting to add some exercise to your daily routine but your excuses are getting in the way, let me help you with some “out of the box” thinking, to get you moving.

 Excuse: Too Busy to Walk

This green goblin of an excuse infests most homes. Work, school, cooking, cleaning, shopping, kids, laundry: There isn’t enough time to do everything. “If you’ve got time to watch TV or to browse online, then you’ve got time to exercise. An effective workout can be as quick as 30 minutes.

Bust it:

• Commit to a walking time: Put it on your calendar, in your day planner, or set your alarm clock.

• Invite others: Invite your family or housemates to join you. But make it clear that this time is for walking and exercise, nothing else.

• Work walking into your chores: Instead of stopping on the way home from work to do errands, I walk to the market and post office and carry things back in a backpack.
• Leave the phone at home: If you carry a cell phone for safety, put it on vibrate for incoming calls.

• Sneak walking into a busy day: Walk during your breaks and lunch at work, or go for a quick walk at home while a pot is stewing. Although it is best to walk for a half hour or more, sneaking in a couple of 10- to 15-minute walks burns calories and gets you into the habit of exercising.

Excuse 2: Scared to Walk Alone

Many walkers are afraid to walk alone when they can’t find a walking partner.

Bust it:

• The Right Route: Select a walking route that feels safe to you. A mall, treadmill, indoors track, or local school track heavily used by other walkers and runners are safer-feeling environments.

• Dog: Adopt or borrow a dog to walk with. Walking with a dog of any size greatly decreases your risk of attack. Bad people are looking for easy targets, and anybody with a dog that can bark or bite is not an easy target.

• Walking Stick or Poles: Walk with a walking stick or walking poles. This also makes you less of a target. Bad people will select easier victims than ones with sticks.

• Guilt Them: Use your fear as a tactic to get others to walk with you. “I want to walk for exercise, but I won’t walk alone. I would love it if you could walk with me at least one day a week.”

• Clubs: Join a walking club and walk with the group.

Excuse 3: It’s Lonely Walking Alone

Lack of a walking partner is one of the chief reasons that people don’t walk.

Bust it:

• Invite Somebody! They may act reluctant at first, but it is flattering to be invited to join you in walking. Invite a loved one, family members, kids, friends, co-workers. “I want to walk for exercise, but I won’t walk alone. I would love it if you could walk with me at least one day a week.”

• Clubs: Join a walking club or exercise group.

• Walking Events: Attend walking events or walk where there are other walkers. Strike up a conversation as you walk, and soon you will have new walking friends.

• Email Buddies:If you still can’t find somebody to walk with, get an email walking pal and keep each other motivated.

Excuse 4: It’s Too Cold

A nip in the air can nip your desire to walk. Ice, snow, and cold present real safety concerns.

Bust it:

•Dress in Layers: Dress right for the cold in layers, with a hat and gloves. You need a breathable wicking layer next to the skin, an insulating layer of wool or polar fleece or down, and an outer windproof layer. Add mufflers to protect the neck.

•Chains for Your Shoes: Wear foot traction such as slip-on cleats.

• Treadmill time! Buy a treadmill or find a way to use a treadmill at a club or fitness center.

• Go Indoors: Find an indoors track, or join the mall walkers.

• Use the corridors of large buildings as your walking path. Or circle your house or apartment.

Excuse 5:Too Hot to Walk

Hot weather poses real risks to walkers. Beat the heat and bust the excuse.

Bust it:

• Love your sweat. Accept it. You are glowing!

• Dress for it: wear breathable wicking fabrics such as CoolMax which draw the sweat away from the skin so the evaporation can cool you. Wear a hat to keep the sun off your head.

• Drink up -drink 16 oz. of water an hour before you walk so you start off well-hydrated. Then drink a cup or more of water every 15-30 min. Drink a big glass of water when you finish.

• Walk in the early morning or in the cool of evening to avoid the hottest part of the day. Choose shaded trails or those with a breeze.

• Walk indoors – treadmill, mall, indoors track, walk the halls of large buildings.

Excuse 6: It’s Raining

What, are you made of sugar? Walking in the rain can be unpleasant, or you can change your attitude and go singing in the rain.

Bust it:

• Plan Your Reward: Set out the bath oil and aromatherapy candles and have the cocoa ready to make for when you get back. Nothing feels better than a warm terrycloth robe after a great walk in the rain.

• Puddles are Fun! Be a kid again – you’re going to get wet anyway – splash and play!

• You won’t melt: You are drip dry. Sometimes bare limbs are better than wet fabric – if it’s warm enough, just go walking and experience the rain.

• Dress Waterproof: Gore-tex and other waterproof breathable fabrics for boots, shoes, jackets and rain-pants are great for walking and shedding the rain. If your walk is going to last more than a half hour, wearing waterproof outerwear can make it much more pleasant.

•Walk Indoors OK, so you are made of sugar – Walk indoors – treadmill, mall, indoors track, walk the halls of large buildings.

Excuse 7: I’m Tired

You drag yourself out of bed, or make it home from work or errands. It’s time for your walk but you are tired.

Bust it:

• Don’t sit down, don’t lie down, don’t dally over a cup of coffee.

• Don’t let yourself know that you are actually going to walk. Don’t think about it as you tie on your shoes and head out the door. Shhhh – quiet, don’t wake up your tired brain. Once you are walking, it is amazing how the fatigue goes away.

• Drink more water – often fatigue is a sign of dehydration, or lack of water makes it even worse.

• If the fatigue isn’t gone or is worse after 15 minutes, you may be coming down with a cold or may be over-training. Finish your walk, drink lots of water and take care of yourself. If you haven’t had a rest day, take a rest day tomorrow.

Excuse 8: I’m Sore

You’ve been doing your walking and exercises but your muscles are sore.

Bust it:

If your walking muscles are simply sore, it shows that you getting a good workout and building new muscle. Strenuous moves such as doing hills, changing your walking style, or walking for a long distance can all lead to muscle soreness.
Massaging the sore muscle can help – and if you have a loved one do it, it can be fun, too.
Take it slower today, or shorten your distance, but walk a bit to work out the kinks and keep your muscles flexible.
If you are walking fast, be sure to always warm up for 5-10 minutes at an easier pace each time, then do your stretches and flexibility drills. Be sure you aren’t overstretching – stretches should be gentle. Always cool down at an easier pace for 5-10 minutes, followed by gentle stretching.

If you have sharp pain or swelling, then you may have an injury. Don’t walk through that kind of pain – use the RICE formula to rest, ice, compress and elevate the injury and consult your medical provider.

Do You Have Excuses For Not Eating Right?