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| "Most
people want to exercise because they know the benefits, but it can be hard
to stay motivated," says Daniel S. Rooks, Ph.D., director of the Be Well!
Tanger Center for Health Management at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
and affiliated with the New England Baptist Bone & Joint Institute. "The
key is to do something you enjoy. Exercise should be fun and it should be
social."
Denise Houseman, M.S., clinical exercise physiologist at Deaconess-Nashoba Hospital agrees, saying, "People should start by asking themselves what they like to do. A little soul searching about what has or has not worked in the past goes a long way toward increasing your chances of success." "The word 'exercise' creates negative images for a lot of people," adds Linda McLaughlin, program coordinator at the Be Well! Tanger Center for Health Management. "I encourage people to think in terms of 'activities' rather than 'exercise.'" Start by turning simple daily activities into something more beneficial. Simple changes such as vacuuming more vigorously, taking a brisk walk during your lunch break or doing arm curls with a can of soup will increase blood flow and strengthen muscles.  Although it may be tempting to hit the ground running, increasing activity gradually will likely lead to greater success. "Setting goals too high, too fast may be discouraging and make the goals unattainable," says Amy LaMontagne, fitness systems director at HealthPoint Fitness and Wellness Center. "By setting achievable and realistic goals and increasing activity in small increments, people are more likely to stay with a program." Arnold Scheller, M.D., team physician for the Boston Celtics and chief of sports medicine at New England Baptist Hospital and ProSports Orthopaedics, says, "People often make the mistake of overworking one area of the body and underworking another, which can create an imbalance that leads to problems with bones, muscles and joints." Optimal benefits are achieved by participating in aerobic (heart strengthening) exercise three to five days a week for 30 minutes and anaerobic (muscle and bone strengthening) exercise two to three days a week. Scheller says, "Everyday tasks of modern society, such as sitting at a computer, postures our shoulders, arms and necks forward. Every exercise program should include stretching in all directions—not just forward." |
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