One of the reasons many baby boomer and beyond women do not exercise is the fear associated with exercise. Some have fear of failure, fear of pain, fear of injury or fear of embarrassment or a combination of all these.
Fear of Failure
When it comes to a lifestyle change, you set yourself up for failure when you think that you will always eat the right foods and never deviate from your exercise program. Give yourself a break when you fail to live up to your original goal. Re-align your goal to one that is more reachable. Know that you are not alone in this.
Fear of Pain
Exercise should never be painful. Working your muscles to fatigue and being in real pain are two different things. I always tell my clients that there is good pain and then there is bad pain. Good pain is normal discomfort when working your muscles hard. Bad pain is sharp pain in joints, tearing of muscles or ligaments and being out of breath during your cardio workout. When bad pain happens you have pushed yourself too hard, picked up too much weight or have done an exercise improperly.
Fear of Injury
As we get older, fear of injury becomes much more prominent. We are more vulnerable to falls and normally have health issues that the younger generation does not have. There are many ways to minimize injury when starting or continuing an exercise program.
- Always warm up before working with weights or doing cardio
- Work out at your own level and speed
- When working with weights do everything in a slow controlled manner using proper form
- Adjust exercise machines to your size
- Always stretch after working out
- Wear proper footwear
- Hire a certified personal trainer (even for just one hour) to teach you the correct way to use exercise equipment
Fear of Embarrassment
It surprises me when people won’t join a gym or do any physical activity because they think they are too fat, too out of shape or too old. The reason that gyms exist is to help people of all ages and shapes get fit. Nowadays, most gyms cater to baby boomers and seniors. Take a class with others that look and feel like you. Get a few new work-out togs to lift your spirits and bolster your self esteem. And, if you do nothing else, you could start out by walking with a friend or try an exercise video.
Try Something New!
The health benefits of exercise are so numerous and important that it is no longer a luxury but a necessity to make it a part of your everyday life. So enjoy your life better by embracing and not fearing exercise!
