Participant comments

Motivation

We know that we need to exercise more and most of us know how to exercise. We read all the magazine articles on fitness and exercise and have videos on the latest exercise-at-home program. We have even had a few gym memberships in the past. But…we aren't doing any exercise! Why not? It is not a lack of knowledge – it is a lack of motivation.

What can we do to get and stay motivated? Most importantly, don't focus so much on getting more information about exercise; focus instead on getting and staying motivated. Here are some suggestions for getting and staying motivated.

•  Recognize why you want to take one step to better health. The “why” will provide the long term success for which you are looking. The real motivation for any behavior change must come from within you. When you discover the “why,” it becomes the purpose and the force to keep you focused on your goal.

•  After you find your purpose for taking one step to better health, you must make a commitment. A commitment is a promise you make to yourself to continue with your decision to exercise more, even after the initial excitement has worn off. Be sure you are ready to commit to regular exercise to stay motivated.

•  Set daily measurable goals. Make sure your goals are realistic for you. Maybe the 10,000 steps per day is not realistic for you, so set a goal that is challenging enough but yet realistic. Your goal might be to increase your daily steps by 400 – 500 a day until you reach 10,000 steps or until you feel you have reached an effective amount of walking.

•  Track your progress. We have included a walking log which you can download from this site, or send a request to us and we will send you a printed log. As you set your goals and write them down, you will be able to compare your daily achievements to your goals. When you begin meeting your goals this will become extremely motivating. As you exercise and walk consistently, you will also observe your ability to walk faster and longer. Soon you will see the visible results on your body such as weight loss or definition. You will stay motivated because you will see the measurable progress on paper as well as in your physical strength and appearance.

•  Use your pedometer. Your pedometer will give you immediate and objective feedback on your daily exercise.

•  Allow yourself some flexibility in your daily walking program. Don't be discouraged if you remember only twice a day to get up from your desk and take a walk. While an ideal goal is to get up every hour, stretch, walk down the hall or up the nearest flight of stairs, it will take a day or so to get in the habit of doing so. If you get discouraged because you didn't walk as much as you had planned, you might just give up permanently. Don't let this happen. Allow for flexibility and know that one missed day is not failure.

•  Be accountable. Record your daily steps online or in your log book, and let us know how you are doing. Enlist a fellow worker to walk with you and support each other in your daily exercise plan. Most of us need more support than we think we do to maintain an exercise program, so it's better to have a walking partner than try to go it alone. But it is better to go it alone than not at all!