Body Talk
Our body "talks" to us through negative signals such as aches and pains, as well as through positive signals such as higher energy levels, feelings of exhilaration and well being. These signals are a lifeline to healthy eating and exercise choices.
For instance, when you have the flu, your body says, "let's shut down and chill". Letting your body fight the flu virus can help you get back to your active life more quickly. When you "rest" you allow your body to devote its attention to fighting the flu.
When you're very tired, your body is saying, "Stay put." If we push ourselves drowsiness can set in and accidents can happen while we work out. You don't have the "energy" to focus; you become dangerous to yourself and others.
When your body says, "I am soooo sore!" your body is saying it needs a break. Personal trainers will tell you that recovery from exercise is just as important as the exercise regime itself. Overtraining can be as bad as under training. Your body needs time to metabolize the byproducts of exercise, and to rebuild damaged tissue.
There are other signals that don't come from our bodies but, rather our fickle moods, feelings and impulses. They get us confused and off-track. For instance when you notice it is cold and damp outside, you tell yourself it is "okay" to miss a workout. Even on these days you can still beef up your cardio by vacuuming, mopping, running up and down the stairs or just jumping rope in your patio.
"Oops, ran out of time," is another classic excuse. If we learn to combine things we want or need to do with exercise it becomes much more fun. Going on date to play tennis, taking a family hike or conducting a business meeting during a long walk with your client are just of few of the ways to get exercise while accomplishing another task.
"My program is on TV now," is another poor excuse for not exercising. It would not be the worse thing in the world to tape your show and watch later, especially without those commercials. When you make a deal with yourself to do a part of your workout, you typically end up completing your whole routine. The reward is that you have exceeded your expectations and now you can watch your show without feeling guilty.
Another common non-excuse is "a spa or gym membership just costs too much." You can actually spend much less on a monthly membership than you do on blended coffee drinks in a month. The gym is better for you and you will feel a true sense of accomplishment each day.
"I never lose weight when I exercise" is another bad excuse that can lead us to lethargy. The key is not to focus only at the scale but also your heart rate, muscle mass and how your clothes are fitting. In resistance training, as you exercise, fat cells can be replaced by lean muscle mass.
Taking time out to exercise may upset our flow and daily comforts, but taking 3 days off may cause us to backslide. After 72 hours our resting heart rate begins to return to where it was when we first began
exercising months ago.
Regardless of whether your mood is saying, "I am bored, I don't want to work out alone", or "I drove too much this week", your body is still sending you signals to move rest and challenge yourself. The key is to learn to pay attention to those signals and not be swayed by your excuses. If you went to the gym straight from work twice a week,
Then worked out at home the other nights, you will slowly experience how much more your body feels exhilarated and how much more you are listening to what it really needs.
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© Arlene Unger, Your guide to positive Stress, Relationship, Life and Weight Management.
www.MyPrivateCoach.com: Life Coach - Life Coaching
Arlene Unger is the Clinical Psychologist with over 20 years of experience and additional certifications in Nutrition, Sports Psychology, Executive Coaching, Addiction, Nonverbal Therapies, and Communication Disorders Coach at My Private Coach.
She can be contacted at info@myprivatecoach.com.
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