1. Find the form of exercise that works for you. For me that’s working out at the gym. For you, that may be dancing, jogging in the mornings, yoga, cycling, long, brisk walks or playing a sport.
2. Whatever exercise you are doing, prioritize trying to achieve the correct form. Be conscious of how you are doing the exercise. When I am walking or jogging, I try to be conscious of keeping my shoulders back and my spine straight.Use a mirror, ask your trainer or your exercise buddy to ensure that you are doing the exercise as correctly as you can. The more correctly you do it, the more benefit you will gain from it.
3. Be aware that as we get older, it takes increasingly more exercise to remain in good health and to achieve change. Therefore, make it a priority. Make time for it in a way that is sustainable for you, which will probably be a process of trial and error, but don’t give up.
4. Try not to focus so much on what still needs to be done to achieve your fitness goal. Instead, focus on what you have achieved, how you have improved. Try to be in the moment. Think of it as a journey and be kind to yourself.
5. If you know that you don’t like to exercise alone, find a workout buddy for support, accountability and incentive to keep going. Having someone to work out with, talk with, commiserate with, may make it more enjoyable and sustainable.
6. Learn to accept and internalize compliments. They may be for weight loss, or more flexibility, strength, stamina or for a more positive outlook. Positive reinforcement will help you to stay motivated.
7. As you improve, don’t be afraid to set more goals for yourself. My initial long-term goal was to regain strength, become more flexible and move more fluidly. 15 years later, that continues to be my goal, but as I slowly learned to do exercises properly and gained more stamina, I also set short-term goals, which at first I thought were almost impossible for me, but I did it! With lots of support and lots of runs through my neighbourhood, I completed my first 5 km. run, with my sister, Cris, when I was 57. Unbelievably, I have also completed several 10 km. runs. I will be doing both this year. I have learned that if I don’t try, I’ll never know. As Wayne Gretzky once said, “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.” It’s hockey advice, but it can also be applied to setting exercise goals; dare to believe that, with preparation, you can achieve what you may have thought is impossible.
8. Be patient with yourself and the process of improvement. It took me weeks in the beginning to learn how to do lunges, squats and run even a short distance without feeling like my heart was going to burst out of my chest. Progress sometimes felt agonizingly slow, but I persevered.
9. Try to have a positive attitude towards whatever form of exercise you choose to do. You’ll find, over time, that consistent exercise will help you physically and mentally. For me, trying to balance caregiving, paying work, household responsibilities, I know that exercising is helping with stress. I do it for me, and the ripple effect is that I am giving less worry to the people who care about me. In other words, not taking care of ourselves hurts not only us, but also the people who care about us.
10. Don’t give up. Small steps.
My neighbour across the road gets up everyday at 5.30 to do yoga. Apparently it’s via an online service Which I believe is a method that’s quite popular these days.
I am always surprised by how many people get up incredibly early to fit in some form of exercise. I did yoga for several years until vertigo got in the way and it was very helpful. I’m glad he’s found something that works for him.