Put your hand up if you have ever found yourself in this situation. This happens to people more than they would like to admit. So how did I get out of my rut?

I called on a trusty friend and booked in a time to catch up with a walk in the Dandenong Ranges (and managed to combine it with book club). It felt great! And now my energy and motivation has returned.

Although it may seem hard to get started or get back into exercise, it gets easier once you take the first step. You are not alone, there are many people who are in the same situation as you. If you are struggling here are eight tips to help you get your mojo back or to just get started:

• Call a friend – its way more fun being active with a friend!
• Take a step back and allow yourself to have some time off with the plan to start again
• Enter an event to give you that little bit of extra motivation
• Try something NEW! Getting out in the bush was just what I needed
• Think about why you exercise, is it for your health? Blood pressure, cholesterol, injury? Does it make you feel good? Are you doing it because you enjoy it or because you feel you should? Make sure you are doing it for a reason you value.
• Join a group or class
• Set small goals to start and progress slowly. It will get easier.
• If you are currently have or are returning from an injury or have a chronic condition or simply don’t know how to start, seek some advice from an exercise physiologist. They will be able to advise you how to safely start or return to exercise.

EL

The post 8 ways to get out of an exercise rut… appeared first on FiT Exercise Physiology.

I had read that exercise would help but I needed someone to decide what sort of exercise I should do. I have always been a walker but that didn’t help. After finding an Exercise Physiologist near my home and making an appointment, I kept changing the appointment for a variety of reasons. It took me a number of weeks before actually getting there. I’m not sure why I did that but I guess I wasn’t sure about what I was getting in to. I shouldn’t have put it off.

When I finally got there it was a very positive experience. With regular appointments and “at home” strength exercises she helped me to understand how much exercise my body needed, made me feel good about myself and reminded me that consistent exercise will improve my metabolism. It must have, because the symptoms associated with menopause were quickly forgotten. Flabby upper arms previously covered are now proudly exposed (no longer flabby) during the summer months.

A problem with my left knee has been an issue for a while. I did do the special exercises to strengthen the muscles around it occasionally but with recent encouragement to do them much more consistently – almost every day – there does not seem to be a problem anymore.

Due to a change in circumstance I now visit a different Exercise Physiologist every 3 months for reassessment and monitoring of my home exercises. Of course I don’t do as many repetitions or as often as suggested but it still works and I show improvement with most things whenever I go back. I don’t pay gym membership and can do my exercises whenever I feel like it. Every little bit I do, helps and it is the encouragement of the Exercise Physiologist that keeps me motivated to improve my strength and flexibility.

– Helen S

The post I NEED AN EXERCISE PHYSIOLOGIST AND SO DO YOU appeared first on FiT Exercise Physiology.