Hello all!
As you all know by now, my target behavior is exercising, and as expected my behavior last week was horrible. At baseline, I was only able to exercise once last week and that is only because it was required. I exercised last Wednesday for my dance class. I spent approximately 1 hour exercising that day. I did some stretching, sit-ups, push ups and dancing which is equivalent to my cardiovascular activity. My dance class was supposed to go on for 2 hours but we had our midterm test. Because of this, my exercising was very staggered. When I did get to dance I gave full energy to it though so as to get a good grade. I was out of breath after the whole test, this showed that my body is not catching to the intensity of our dance.
I personally think I have a love-hate relationship with exercising. I love it because I receive short-term benefits from not doing it often. My body does not get sore the next day when I don't exercise the day before. I have more time to do leisure activities such as playing Farmville on Facebook, watching movies or playing my guitar/singing. I get more time to sleep when I don't exercise, since I usually exercise in the morning sun. When I do not exercise, however, I am less productive, I lose my breath easily (as seen during my midterm), and this even affects my singing because I can't extend a note as far as I usually can. But honestly, I believe that getting sore is way better than losing my breath all the time and not being physically capable of doing certain things.
Now that I have laid out my whole hate relationship with exercising, I want to strengthen my LOVE relationship with it. In order to do that, I will first discuss the main benefits of exercising. Knowing why it is beneficial to health is key to being motivated on doing it. Naturally, anyone would prioritize important things. Mayo Clinic, a not-for-profit medical practice company, posted an article entitled Exercise: 7 benefits of regular physical activity, presenting the benefits of exercise. The main points are shown below, for a full version visit the link. (Link - http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/exercise/HQ01676)
1. Exercise improves your mood. Physical activity stimulates various brain chemicals that may leave you feWhen your heart and lungs work more efficiently, you'll have more energy to do the things you enjoy. eling happier and more relaxed than you were before you worked out. (Mayo clinic staff, 2009, p.1)
2. Exercise combats chronic diseases. Examples are diabetes, osteoporosis, and certain types of cancer. (Mayo clinic staff, 2009, p.1)
3. Exercise helps you manage your weight. The more intense the activity, the more calories you burn — and the easier it is to keep your weight under control. (Mayo clinic staff, 2009, p.1)
4. Exercise boosts your energy level. Physical activity delivers oxygen and nutrients to your tissues.When your heart and lungs work more efficiently, you'll have more energy to do the things you enjoy. (Mayo clinic staff, 2009, p.2)
5. Exercise promotes better sleep. Regular physical activity can help you fall asleep faster and deepen your sleep. (Mayo clinic staff, 2009, p.2)
6. Exercise can put the spark back into your sex life. (Mayo clinic staff, 2009, p.2)
7. Exercise can be fun. (Mayo clinic staff, 2009, p.2)
Clearly, the benefits of exercise are not only seen in a physical perspective but also in a deeper personal perspective to promote general well-being. Another important thing to consider so as to make long-term changes to my target behavior is, "How often should I ideally engage in regular physical activity?". Fitness expert Greg Shealy answers this question. First, he says that most experts recommend 20 mins of exercise at least 3 times a week. As soon as this routine is set, he then stresses the importance of increasing the following: frequency, duration, intensity and progression. Increasing these factors gradually will help one reap the full benefits of exercising. (Shealy, 2009, p.1)
WORKS CITED
Mayo Clinic Staff. (2009). Exercise: 7 benefits of regular physical activity. Mayo Clinic. Retrieved October 20, 2009, from the World Wide Web: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/exercise/HQ01676.
Shealy, Greg. (2009). How Often to Work Out. Discovery Health: Diet and Fitness Center. Retrieved October 20, 2009, form the World Wide Web: http://health.discovery.com/centers/diet-fitness/diet-fitness-qa/working-out.html.
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5 comments:
Hi Samantha!
Your entry is so long and detailed! I wish I can exercise more too, but I feel like I never have time to do so. I have a 24 hours membership that I still have but never go to because it always feels like I have something more important to do. I wish I can be motivated to exercise! Perhaps I can work on this behavior after my procrastination behavior on my own time.
Hey Sam. :)
I actually feel the same way! I've had the same love-hate relationship with exercising since forever. Since I used to be part of the pep squad in my high school, intense training was necessary everyday. I had to do the warm-ups and all since it was required. But after I graduated I lost track of exercising regularly and became too lazy to even go to the gym. However, after a while I started to feel weak so I figured that I just can't bum around. I still need to move and exercise! haha. I just wish you goodluck with your program, you've already taken initiative to do something and I hope that everything works out for you!
I like that you are choosing to progress and take strides and not just go for the big bang and attempting to run a marathon with 50 pound dumbells strapped to your arms.
I think you're smart in doing that and I definitely think your singing (which is already phenomenal) will improve.
Maybe you could release an exercise video where you sing and exercise at the same time. =)
Exercise is fun! If you just get into it I promise it will be easier. You have obviously done your research and know all of the benefits that exercise can have for you. I that you have good luck with everything!
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