Exercise Epiphanies?

I'm sure you go through this thing every new year - making new resolutions to exercise. It would be the same this year - you've resolved you want to start a regular exercise program, to keep fit and to be healthy. Well, we're now into the 3rd month of 2007 and chances are you've already broken your new year's resolutions!!! Hmmmm....Sounds familiar? And We all know how it goes...... The gist of the matter is this - your new year's resolutions aren't strong enough to cause waves and seas of changes in your life....... Lasting, impressionable changes have to come from deep within you. The moment you've had your exercise epiphany....... But prior to your epiphany, your motivation to exercise would most probably propell by these 2 opposing emotions - fear and desire. Let's talk about fear first. You're afraid your health and thus your life will get worse if you don't do anything (in this case, exercise). Or you're afraid not able to enjoy doing the things you like to do and have to depend on others when you're old - that could send you off to exercise to keep fit...... Perhaps like a girlfriend of mine (who's quite overweight) actually hauls her "couch-potato self" off the couch and exercises because she's so scared she might die of obesity-related complications: coronary heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, stroke..... So fear does have a place to motivate people to exercise. However, for some of us, fear may fail in this terrain because we're so innate NOT to exercise! So there, you're back to square one. Now let's look at deisre. You desire to be healthy and fit; desire to have a beautiful body that can be at par with the celebs'; desire to do things you enjoy and able to do when you're old; desire to live healthily all your life....... If you strongly, strongly covet one of these "noble" desires, then may be you'll have the strong drive to power on - exercise regularly. BUT, not many of us are born with such bountiful "envious" drive that can help us along. For many of us, that drive's just not there! Goodness, what's left for you to do, if you still want to exercise to gain health and keep fit? I bring you to the point where you meet your ephiphany - i.e. you get to a certain point in your head or even in your life and then it's for real for you to CHANGE ! Lifestyle, exercise, eating habits, quit smoking, lose weight...... In a flash of a moment when you realise you've run out of excuses and are forced to make a decision to change. Like a bulb in your brain suddenly "lights" up and you see things clearly. Or you've that "Ah Ha" moment....... For my girlfriend, that point came when she realised she was socially "ostracized" because of her size...... For my brother who've never exercised one day in his life, that moment came when he experienced strong heart palpitations.... My epiphany came the moment when I was called "round and fat". That's when I knew I needed to get into shape, very much so....I was then 20. I began my exercise workout program, starting from toning and sculpting my troubled areas - butts, thighs, arms, abs and legs, cut down sugary and fatty stuff in my food, to toning whole body, cardio exercise, stretching, strength training and Pilates. I've been exercising since then and have been able to keep trim and healthy, with little fuss. This is the so-called epiphany, that moment of strong inspiration that lasts an inprint in your mind and life that won't waver - that you need to do something to change your situation to a better one. However, that moment of intense, burning inspiration may not soon happen again and some of us may not get it when it happens! "What's the good of epiphany if I can't get it? I would still fall off the exercise wagon every now and then and break my resolution to exercise!" You ask. Right. You've caught on the drift..... See, not every one of us would get that moment of epiphany. If you get it, so much the better for you. What I'm trying to say is this - why wait for it to happen to propel you to exercise? Start now! You just need to take a small, baby step, one at a time. Start cardio for 5 minutes, then 10 minutes, 20 minutes, 30 minutes....as you pick up stamina along the way. Gradually add in strength training, stretching, Pilates/Yoga. Throw in healthy eating when you're ready for it.... This way, you'll be able to cope with the little changes nicely and not suddenly overwhelmed by "seas" of changes which you can't handle.....and you quit! One thing that's very helpful to help you start exercise is this- Uncluttered all things that tend to hold you back - excuses, commitments of all kinds, wrong attitude (laziness, lukewarm disposition, procrastination) and wrong perception about exercise, amongst others. Unencumbered by these things, you'll get a new, fresh start and will exercise steadily on. You won't easily fall off the exercise wagon! One more thing - when you see results, I'm very confident that's your moment of exercise epiphany! The results won't lie. They're the best testimonies to your exercise effort and your deepest, unshackled motivation that's anchored within you! You've finally arrested your wavering. You'll exercise on regularly. Pssst...... You can rest your case about making new year resolution to start exercise! Congrats!