Understanding common
barriers to physical activity and creating strategies to overcome them may help
you make physical activity part of your daily life.
Lack
of Time:
·
Identify available time slots. Monitor your daily activities for one
week. Identify at least three 30 minute
time slots you could use for physical activity.
·
Add physical activity to your daily
routine. For example, walk or ride your
bike to work or shopping, organize school activities around physical activity,
walk the dog, exercise while you watch TV, park farther away from your
destination, etc.
·
Select activities requiring minimal
time, such as walking, jogging, or stair climbing.
Social
Influence:
·
Explain your interest in physical
activity to friends and family. Ask them
to support your efforts.
·
Invite friends and family members to
exercise with you. Plan social
activities involving exercise.
·
Develop new friendships with physically
active people. Join a group, such as the
YMCA or a hiking club.
Lack
of Energy:
·
Schedule physical activity for times in
the day or week when you feel energetic.
·
Convince yourself that if you give it a
chance, physical activity will increase your energy level; then, try it.
Lack
of Motivation:
·
Plan ahead. Make physical activity a regular part of your
daily or weekly schedule and write it on your calendar.
·
Invite a friend to exercise with you on
a regular basis and write it on both your calendars.
·
Join an exercise group or class.
Fear
of Injury:
·
Learn how to warm up and cool down to
prevent injury.
·
Learn how to exercise appropriately
considering your age, fitness level, skill level, and health status.
·
Choose activities involving minimum
risk.
Lack
of Skill:
·
Select activities requiring no new
skills, such as walking, climbing stairs or jogging.
·
Take a class to develop new skills.
·
Select activities that require minimal
facilities or equipment, such as walking, jogging, jumping rope, or
calisthenics (exercises using your own body weight).
·
Identify inexpensive, convenient
resources available in your community (community education programs, park and
recreation programs, worksite programs, etc.)
Weather
Conditions:
·
Develop a set of regular activities that
are always available regardless of weather (indoor cycling, aerobic dance,
indoor swimming, calisthenics, stair climbing, rope skipping, mall walking,
dancing, gymnasium games, etc.)
Travel:
·
Put a jump rope in your suitcase and
jump rope.
·
Walk the halls and climb the stairs in
hotels.
·
Stay in places with swimming pools or
exercise facilities.
·
Join the YMCA or YWCA (ask about
reciprocal membership agreement).
·
Visit the local shopping mall and walk
for half an hour or more.
·
Bring your MP3 player with your favorite
aerobic exercise music.
Family
Obligations:
·
Trade babysitting time with a friend,
neighbor, or family member who also has small children.
·
Exercise with the kids-go for a walk
together, play tag or other running games, get an aerobic dance or exercise
tape for kids (there are several on the market) and exercise together. You can spend time together and still get
your exercise.
·
Jump rope, do calisthenics, ride a
stationary bike, or use other home gymnasium equipment while the kids are busy
playing or sleeping.
·
Try to exercise when the kids are not
around (e.g. during school hours or nap times)
Retirement
Years:
·
Look upon your retirement as an
opportunity to become more active instead of less. Spend more time gardening, walking the dog,
and playing with your grandchildren.
Children with short legs and grandparents with slower gaits are often
great walking partners.
·
Learn a new skill you’ve always been interested
in, such as ballroom dancing, square dancing, or swimming.
Content in the "Personal Barriers" section was taken from Promoting Physical Activity: A Guide for Community Action (USDHHS, 1999).
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