Get off the couch and move more

A few weeks ago my alarm went off an hour earlier than normal, and when I looked at the clock it took me a few minutes to remember why I set the alarm so early. Then it hit me. Today was the day I was going to get up early and hit the gym for 45 minutes before work.

Five snooze buttons later instead of working out, I was almost late for work. This snooze button-not working out pattern continued for the next four days until I finally changed my alarm back to the regular time. Preworkday workout…fail.

I know I need to exercise more, and with my busy schedule—or perceived busy schedule—I always tell myself that I can’t find the time. I also made a common mistake that a lot of men make: I set my expectations a little too high in how I was going to change my routine to add more exercise to my day.

The following week I set more realistic goals and was more honest with myself about why I’m not getting enough exercise. It’s not that I’m too busy at the end of the day; it’s that I will find other things to do instead of going to the gym.

My new goal is to watch a little less reality TV and go to the gym for 20 minutes a day three times a week. The ultimate goal is to step that up to 30 to 45 minutes a day four to five days a week. But I realized that it’s not going to happen all at once, and it’s certainly not going to happen at 5 a.m.

We all could stand to get more exercise. My advice is to over the next month or so step up your exercise by 30 more minutes a day. You’ll be doing your body a favor. Also find an activity that’s fun, and you’re more likely to stay with it. Remember the saying: “If it’s not fun, it gets undone.”

Need some ideas on where to start? Take a look at this link.

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