I always wondered, how to exercise consistently.
The answer is, you just have to stop making excuses and do it. There will always be an excuse to not work out. Long work hours, a demanding family, the weather, or something else. Working out isn’t a vain thrill. A consistent exercising routine may help to prevent serious health problems like type-2 diabetes, certain cancer, and other diseases. Let’s get started on being consistent.
How Important Is Exercise
Most of us can think of some reasons why we should exercise. Like to lose weight or to build muscles. But it’s more than what we see. Exercising can take care of health issues that aren’t visible. Issues like anxiety, the risk of certain cancers, and even preventing type-2 diabetes.
Physical exercise helps to prevent type-2 diabetes by encouraging the body to use up blood sugar. As we eat, our blood sugar level rises. The blood flows through our pancreas, and when it’s there, the body produces insulin. The main job of insulin is to reduce the amount of sugar in the blood to a normal level. The blood and insulin move to tissues in our bodies, and insulin makes its way to receptors in our cells. The insulin and receptors allow the sugar to make its way through to give us energy. But if we go into sugar overdrive, the receptors will no longer be able to receive the insulin. This causes a traffic jam of sugar in our bodies. Because we have a sugar excess, the body tries to produce more insulin to handle the overload. If we are in a frequent state of excess sugar and insulin, the insulin will no longer be effective. That’s how we become insulin resistant, then diabetic. This can happen to you even if you aren’t overweight.
Anxiety has been on a rise over the last two decades. Studies have shown that physical and mental exercises can help with anxiety. In some cases, individuals have used meditation instead of medication to help with their anxiety. Mental health is health. It goes hand in hand with physical health. If you have concerns, please reach out to a healthcare provider. There is nothing to be afraid of.
When you exercise you reduce the risk of developing cancer of the bladder, stomach, colon, and breasts, according to the CDC. Here are some other reasons to increase your physical activity:
To prevent obesity, which is a risk factor for many cancers. An estimated 110,000 deaths per year could be prevented if US adults ages 40 and older increased their moderate-to-vigorous physical activity by a small amount. Even 10 minutes more a day would make a difference.
Taking more steps a day also helps lower the risk of premature death from all causes. For adults younger than 60, the risk of premature death leveled off at about 8,000 to 10,000 steps per day. For adults 60 and older, the risk of premature death leveled off at about 6,000 to 8,000 steps per day.
Source: cdc.gov
Why Is It Hard To Be Consistent With Exercise
Why is it hard to be consistent at working out? About a month ago, when the time started getting cold, I stopped going to the gym. I told myself that it was too cold, and I justified that to make myself feel better.
What’s better than a warm bed, a snack, and a good Netflix series? Why would I leave that to go to the gym or another space in the house to get sweaty and make my muscles ache?
Humans love comfort. We love what’s familiar because it makes living easier. We tend to fight change without realizing it at times. Being consistent takes a lot of work. If your goals aren’t clear, then what are you working towards? If you don’t have a plan, then what will you use to motivate yourself on days when you want to skip exercise?
How To Make Exercise An Unbreakable Habit
I was telling a friend my story of how the time was too cold to go to the gym and that I don’t know how people do it. “Man, you just got to do it,” he said. And that was it, the next day I was back in the gym.
The key to being consistent is being consistent. Wake up every day and do what you must do. “Eat the frog”, they always say. There are people out there who love fitness/ working out. For many of us, exercising is a frog. If the frog is ugly in your eyes, then try to eat it as early as possible.
Resting is key. When you get a night of good sleep, it helps you to feel better and to operate better. Resting is important for your body to recover, and if you are trying to gain muscles then that’s when they grow. Stop cheating yourself by getting little rest. The average adult requires 7 hours of sleep, according to Mayo Clinic.
What you eat and when you eat can affect how you feel. Nutrition is a major part of health. I won’t tell you to stop eating this or that, but do everything in moderation, and think of the long-term effects on your body.
Whether you walk, run, or lift weights, find a workout routine and stick to it. It’s hard to see results when you’re always changing your routine. I find workout plans to target my upper and lower body. I also create a note to track the sets and reps. I increase the weight or reps each week for growth.
I fill my water bottle from the night before. I also put socks in my shoes and figure out what I’ll be wearing. If I’m blessed to live a long life then I don’t want to spend it hooked on medication or some machines. My desire is not to rob myself and my family of quality time together. That's enough motivation to never quit working out again.
Breaking bad habits and forming good ones will take time and a burning desire for better. I saw a YouTube video from Yakutia, the coldest place in the world. Some of its residents go into the freezing lake as a morning routine. They do it because of the health benefits, including a stronger immune system. It’s amazing what we can achieve when we are clear on our goals.
The One Thing by Gary Keller is a good read. He talks about how to break down your long-term goals into things that you should do right now to achieve them. It’s a helpful book for developing consistent habits in your spiritual, emotional, physical, or business life.
Conclusion On Exercise
How much do you want to live? How much do you want to spend your life free from doctor’s appointments? Do you want to be bedridden, and have back-to-back health issues?
Lack of physical activity may lead to health issues such as anxiety, type-2 diabetes, cancers, and more. To make exercising a habit, we must know its benefits and tie them to the kind of life that we want for our future selves. Stick to a plan to see results. Track your workouts with an app or notebook. Also prep your gear overnight to make the decision easier the next day.
I know there are some cases where we get hit with a disease regardless of lifestyle. But if we have the power to take control and prevent a lot of them…why not?