Most of us have good intentions to exercise consistently, which is great and highly recommended for many reasons which I’ll list below. The intention to exercise itself is a stressor that we shouldn’t have in our lives. I have always thought exercise is an important part of life, and as healthcare providers, we have a job to try to get people to exercise and be healthy. It is very difficult to get people to exercise sometimes, so I think the motivation has to come from within ourselves.

Exercise shouldn’t be stressful, and it should be enjoyable. 

According to the ACSM, “all healthy adults aged 18–65 should participate in moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity for a minimum of 30 minutes on five days per week, or vigorous-intensity aerobic activity for a minimum of 20 minutes on three days per week.”

Here is an easy way to determine what intensity to work out at (moderate versus vigorous):

1. 220 – (your age)
2. Take that number multiplied by 50-70% (moderate intensity) and 70-85% (vigorous intensity).

Example: Pretend I’m 35 years old and I wanted to get myself in better shape and “healthy” according to the ACSM with moderate intensity workouts 5 days/week for 30 minutes.

1. 220-35 = 185 beats per minute (this number is your max heart rate).
2. 185 x (0.5-0.7) = 93-130 beats per minute
3. I would then try to keep my heart rate during my workouts between 93 and 130 beats per minute and try to keep that up for 30 minutes, 5 days/week.

If you are having a hard time with staying with a workout program or just doing certain exercises 5 days a week, find a friend or family member to go on a walk most days of the week just to stay active rather than putting off your workouts and stressing about why you aren’t exercising.

Any exercise is better than nothing at all. I find myself in this situation a lot, stressing about working out when it doesn’t necessarily have to be that difficult. I could go on a half-hour walk or bike ride with my family which is a great way to get more people involved and to not miss out on family time.

Below is a list of the potential benefits of exercising regularly:

• Maintain a healthy weight
• Stabilize blood sugars
• Control blood pressure
• Build lean muscle mass
• Brain health and mood
• Joint health
• Live longer
• Build up the immune system
• Sleep better
• Reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease
• Keep up with kids/grandkids
• Improve fatigue