Summary: Exercise is a toughie. It’s most often associated with pain (or at best discomfort), sweat, and frustration. In this episode, I’ll talk about what to do with this beast–how to approach it and become its friend.<br> [divider]<br> Transcript for What To Do With Exercise<br> Hi and welcome to Nutritionally Speaking. I’m your host Michaela Ballmann.<br> <br> Exercise Defined<br> Exercise can be an issue–a problem on bad days, tolerable on good days. I want to talk more about exercise today and how we can relate to it, decide when to exercise as well as what type, how often, and for how long.<br> First, let’s define exercise. My dictionary describes it as an “activity requiring physical effort, carried out especially to sustain or improve health and fitness”. Not bad. If I asked you, you might say “torture prescribed by my doctor, dietitian and spouse” or maybe “the way I manage stress” or “the way I start or end my day”. Exercise can mean different things to different people, but for the sake of this episode, let’s think of the typical definition of physical activity, specifically the cardiovascular exercises of jogging, biking, swimming, and the like.<br> <br> Why We Don’t Like Exercise<br> There’s a lot of potential issues with exercise:<br> <br> * You may not have a positive history with it (i.e. you were overweight as a child and had difficulty in sports or PE, your family wasn’t active so it doesn’t feel natural to exercise)<br> * You may have injuries<br> * You may not enjoy it<br> * It takes time<br> * It is uncomfortable (sometimes even nauseating)<br> * You’d rather be doing something else<br> * It doesn’t necessarily cause weight loss (which most people want to see as a result of their hard work)<br> * You’re conflicted because it’s supposed to be good for you, but that’s not a good enough reason sometimes<br> <br> So, what do we do with exercise if we don’t enjoy it, it takes our valuable time, and it doesn’t seem to make much of a difference when it comes to our weight?<br> <br> The What of Exercise<br> If you’re going to do anything, PLEASE do something you enjoy. Walking if often “poo-poo’d” because it doesn’t get your heart rate “high enough”, burn “enough” Calories, or cause enough pain. I think walking is awesome, and it is the best exercise for most people who have many of the aforementioned Issues with exercise.<br> Do something sustainable. For most people, going from a low level of activity to Cross Fit or other intense workouts is taking the turn from good intentions to fatigue, burnout, and even injuries. Choose a form of exercise that you can see yourself doing for a lifetime (or at least the next decade). You can always cross train by varying up your workouts, which is good for the body but also for the mind.<br> Do something social OR solitary. This really is a personal preference. I like taking group fitness classes, but I also like going for sunset walks by myself to think and reflect on the day. Some people are completely energized by exercising with friends and having an “appointment” with their friend means they’re way more likely to commit and stay committed to waking up early for that run or heading out to the basketball court.<br> <br> The When of Exercise<br> Many people want easy, clear, direct answers to diet and exercise. The reality of the matter is that everything is individual. There are basic guidelines that I can write about on my blog or discuss on my podcast, but the secret sauce is individual nutrition and exercise counseling. This is where we learn what works for you!<br> When it comes to the timing of exercise, there are arguments for the benefits of exercise early in the morning or before/after eating, but I say, “Do it when you will do it.” Please don’t get up at 5am if you are NOT a morning person and think that this is something that is good for you.
