When I walk around the neighborhood,
I worry that everyone is laughing at me.
I can't keep
up with Sally when we're biking.
It makes me feel inadequate.
I'm
afraid I'll hurt myself playing volleyball
so I don't even try.
 Recognize any of these thoughts? For many of us, these types
of exercise fears form significant barriers to feeling good
about moving our bodies. But if we start living in the present
moment and begin to appreciate what our bodies were designed
to do for us, we may come to understand that exercising is
a treat. Our bodies are designed to want to move. The following
information can help us adjust our thinking to succeed in
overcoming
exercise fears and beginning to feed our bodies
what they want.
Exercise Fear: Injury or Pain
When beginning an exercise program or participating in
an activity that you're not used to (such as hiking,
for example), questions about the possibility of injury
or pain are valid. You can minimize problems with the
necessary precautions that can go a long way towards
overcoming
exercise fears.
- Warm up & stretch. Increases flexibility, which
is valuable to prepare the body and the mind for more strenuous
activity.
- Recognize limits. What are you truly capable of
doing at this time? Do only as much as your body can handle
during
a particular activity.
- Be prepared. With the proper footwear,
clothing and materials necessary to participate in the
activity you're planning
to do.
- Learn and practice. Know the proper form and technique
for the specific type of physical activity you are going
to participate in. Questions? Ask a professional to clear
up confusion.
Exercise
Fear: Looking “Ridiculous”
If you haven't noticed already, few of us look glamorous
when we're exercising. Looking great isn't the
focus. It's about enjoying the beauty of nature, appreciating
our bodies and therefore treating them well by moving them.
It's about feeding our souls and having positive energy
to use throughout the day. We sweat, our faces get flushed,
and sometimes we even stumble on the trail, track or treadmill.
These things happen to everyone. The good news is that rarely
does anyone judge us more than we judge ourselves. So when
we think how “ridiculous” we might look, it's
time to remember the primary reason we are being physically
active and allow ourselves to enjoy it without negative judgments
about how we look.
If thoughts of a gym or other co-ed fitness center keeps
you on the
couch, consider an all-women's place. Green
Mountain at Fox Run is
one such retreat dedicated to helping women get physically
active to
feel better and feel better about themselves. Exercise Fear: Comparison
Remember, no one ever started out by climbing Mount Everest – it's
important to keep our goals realistic. As we begin new activities,
we need to allow ourselves time to practice and become comfortable
with them. It can help to set small goals along the way to
reaching larger ones. These small successes feed our drive
to push through and continue. Persistence is key to success. Enjoying the wonders of movement can help us succeed in
overcoming
exercise fears. Then it will be us looking back
thinking, “I did it!”
Written by Samantha Rowland, BS
Fitness & Health Promotion Specialist at Green Mountain
at Fox Run
For 37 years, Green Mountain at Fox Run has
developed and refined a life-changing program exclusively
for women seeking permanent strategies for healthy weight
loss and health. More than just another weight
loss retreat and spa, Green Mountain combines proven
science with what works in the real world, to offer an innovative
non-diet lifestyle program. Our core weight
loss program offers an integrated curriculum of practical,
liveable techniques that helps women take charge of their
eating, their bodies and their health. Unlike health
spas or adult
weight loss camps, our approach is not focused on just
losing weight but on how to keep it off for a lifetime.
Our participants' long-term weight
loss success is among the highest of any program, as
documented in peer-reviewed scientific literature. Learn more about our women's weight loss program
©2007
Green Mountain at Fox Run, Ludlow, Vermont. This information
is the property of Green Mountain at Fox Run. Permission
to use single copies for personal, noncommercial use is
authorized. For all other purposes, please see details.
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