If getting more exercise isn’t one of your new year’s resolutions, it should be. Minimal amounts of exercise have been shown to improve mood, increase circulation and reduce stress, which all can reduce pain.
So even if you are not trying to lose weight, doing something physical each week is going to benefit your body and mind. Here are a few suggestions to help you stick to your goal of increased exercise…
Find an exercise program you enjoy: It might mean trying out a few things like walking around your neighborhood or on the beach, taking a stretching class, learning Tai Chi, taking a water aerobics class or practicing chair exercises from your home. Once you know what fits your personality and ability, it’s just a matter of maintaining a routine.
Find a friend: You’re more likely to be consistent with your exercise plan if you are accountable to someone else. Once you have decided on the type of exercise you want to practice, ask your spouse or friend or even children to join you. It will feel less like “work” and more like socializing!
Check out San Diego’s low cost gyms: Chuze Fitness and Crunch gyms are San Diego-area fitness centers with $10 per month memberships. That means that for the cost of two Starbucks coffee drinks, you have unlimited monthly access to fitness equipment and a variety of classes to fit any ability or interest. And, the added bonus is that you won’t feel guilty if you don’t make it to the gym as often as you’d like.