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Fitness ideas for people who hate exercising
Aerobics and dance exercises (Zumba) are the best group exercises that you can get involved in for motivation. PHOTO/COURTESY
What you need to know:
- There are a number of people who hate just even the idea of exercising.
- However, when not exercising is also not an option, here are some tips to make your workout routine a little easier.
He had planned to include exercise on his daily routine but often times he just sleeps a little more. Andrew Bukenya, a businessman is one of the many people that feel lazy to exercise.
“I always drag my feet when I remember I have to exercise. I usually do it indoors when I get the time and energy. I had set an alarm at a certain time so that I exercise but I would always snooze until my time was fast spent. I would instead prefer to continue sleeping,” he says.
Exercise should be a lifestyle choice to help maintain your physical and mental health.
Have a goal
According to Dr Nobert Bwana, a physiotherapist at Physique Fitness Centre, a number of people hate exercising because they either do not have a goal or their goal is too ambitious and therefore, hard to achieve.
“Exercise should be more than just a daily routine. When you have a definite purpose, it will motivate you to exercise every day. It could be to help you maintain your fitness levels, improve your posture, regulate blood sugar or lose weight if you are at risk of becoming obese,” he says.
Exercise is about consistency and in order for one to achieve results says Bukenya, there is need for regularity. He adds: “I had to be sure of what I wanted to achieve. Stomach fat was what I wanted to get rid of. This motivated me to work hard but it was a gradual process that required me to start exercising for lesser times and then increased as time went by.”
There are some things that you may have to do to get you motivated for exercise according to Dr Bwana. If you plan to exercise in the morning before work, ensure that you set an alarm so that you wake up on time. If you do individual exercise, you can install phone apps that will help you achieve your goal.
Dr Bwana says, “The pacemaker devices can also be helpful because they will guide you on the number of steps you must achieve per day and the amount of calories you may have burnt that day because the input is measurable.”
Type of exercise
If you are easily bored and discouraged, you can resort to group exercises to boost your morale. Aerobics and dance exercises (Zumba) are the best group exercises that you can get involved in for motivation because you do them with other people. In most cases, you also do not feel the tiredness since you are exercising in a fun and engaging way.
“Aim at having exercises that require you to be outdoors, Dr Bwana says. Walking and cycling can be very helpful while you enjoy the freshness of the air outside. This is more than a double benefit as it will help you relax from your stress improving your mood while attaining your fitness goals,” he adds. The exercises you choose should not necessarily be strenuous. Even just doing your house chores such as cleaning the house or washing up is good enough.
Dr Bwana adds that swimming is also a great fitness idea for people who dread exercising since it does not require a lot of energy yet it is a full body workout.
Nutrition
Depending on what your goal is, the way you feed will affect your achievements. Lilian Nyanzi, a nutritionist at Neulife Medical Centre in Bweyogerere, Kampala, says fueling your body with the right nutrients prior to exercising gives you the energy and strength you need to perform better.
“It is important to eat at least an hour before your workout to prevent a blackout while exercising. If your workout is moderate, a simple snack such as banana is good enough since it is easy to digest and a good source of potassium which the body will lose through sweating while you exercise,” she says.
Longer and more intense exercises require better feeding for better sustainability of energy during exercise. Remember to replenish with water before, during and after exercising to replace the water you lose through sweat.
Nyanzi adds: “After exercise, eat a fruit within 15 minutes to help the body recover its energy levels. If you take longer, the body will instead go to the muscles for food which causes a wasting in the long run. Skipping an after-work out meal once in a while may not be harmful, but do not make it a habit.”
Relaxation
During exercise, there is wear and tear of body tissues. Some people are discouraged from doing exercises because after exercising, they develop muscle pain.
According to Dr Nobert Bwana, a physiotherapist at Physique Fitness Centre, when you relax, the body is able to build and repair all damaged tissue. It is, therefore, important that you get as much rest to help recover. After some time, your body will get used and you will not feel the pain anymore.
