GOALS
Staying
on track
toward
TO STAY HEALTHY, according to the U.S. Department
of Health and Human Services ( hhs.gov) and the
National Health Service ( www.nhs.uk), adults should
try to be active daily and meet one of the following
recommendations. (Always check with your doctor
before starting any exercise program.)
• At least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity, such as cycling or fast walking, every week, and
strength exercises that work all of the major muscles
(legs, hips, back, abdomen, chest, shoulders and arms)
on two or more days a week.
• 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity, such as
running or a game of singles tennis, every week, and
strength exercises that work all of the major muscles
(legs, hips, back, abdomen, chest, shoulders and arms)
on two or more days a week.
• A mix of moderate and vigorous aerobic activity
every week—for example, two 30-minute runs plus 30
minutes of fast walking is the equivalent of 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity, and strength exercises that work all the major muscles (legs, hips, back,
abdomen, chest, shoulders and arms) on two or more
days a week.
Moderate activity will raise your heart rate and
make you breathe faster and feel warmer. One way to
tell if you’re working at a moderate level is if you can
still talk, but you can’t sing the words to a song.
Examples:
• Walking fast • Water aerobics • Riding a bike on
level ground or with few hills • Doubles tennis
• Pushing a lawn mower • Hiking • Volleyball
• In-line skating
Vigorous activity makes you breathe hard
and fast. If you’re working at this level, you won’t
be able to say more than a few words without
pausing for breath.
Examples:
• Jogging or running • Swimming
fast • Riding a bike fast or on hills
• Singles tennis • Football
• Skipping rope • Hockey • Aerobics
• Gymnastics • Martial arts • Basketball
Muscle strength is necessary:
• For all daily movement • To build and maintain
strong bones • To regulate blood sugar and blood
pressure • To help maintain a healthy weight
Examples:
• Lifting weights • Working with resistance bands
• Doing exercises that use your own body weight,
such as push-ups and sit-ups
• Heavy gardening, such as digging
and shoveling • Yoga
—T. Foster Jones
By Linda Melone
STICKING WITH A program is key to
seeing results; experts identify the following reasons many people quit and offer
tips on how to keep going.
You hate exercise
People often focus on what they don’t
like instead of looking at the benefits, says
Elizabeth Lombardo, author of Better Than
Perfect: 7 Strategies to Crush Your Inner
Critic and Create a Life You Love (Seal
Press, 2014; not available at Costco).
“Make a list of the reasons why you exer-
cise, such as less stress, greater confi-
dence, etc., and read over that list daily.”
In addition, she suggests stopping the
all-or-nothing attitude. If you can’t make it
to the gym, try moving your body in other
ways throughout the day, for example. And
don’t underestimate the power of rewards.
After you exercise consistently for a week,
reward yourself with a new book, new
music or a pedicure.
“In general, make it easy for you to
succeed,” says Lombardo, a Costco member. “Take out your workout clothes the
night before, find a gym nearby, etc. The
fewer obstacles you encounter, the more
likely you are to stick with a program.”
You’re bored with the routine
Doing the same workout over and
over guarantees you’ll burn out and eventually drop out. “It is less likely you will
feel bored if you are experiencing progress
toward your fitness goals and being adequately and safely challenged,” says
Costco member Lee Jordan, a health
coach and behavior change specialist.
To stay on track, he suggests ensuring that your exercise regime is based on
cardio, steady state (longer sustained cardio) and interval intensity (short burst of
intense cardio), as well as strength and
flexibility training. Group training, a workout partner, classes and fitness trackers
can also help.
You don’t see results
Often, people don’t give themselves
enough time and set unrealistic time
expectations, says Tom Holland, a
Connecticut exercise physiologist and
Costco member. “Even small gains count.
You need to realize small steps are steps
forward,” he says. “People often quit
right before they’d see results, but you
must stick with it long enough. Specific
times vary, depending on your goals, but
You’re crunched for time
