Everyone has their own personal exercise style. Even people who don’t exercise or say they “hate” exercise. The problem is not that they really “hate” exercise, it’s because they have never taken the time to find their own personal exercise style.
Exercise makes your body feel good, makes healthier, reduces stress and releases endorphins. Anyone who has experienced this feeling could not actually “hate” exercise.
By taking the time to discover and explore your own personal exercise style, you can then find the types of exercise and physical activity that you actually enjoy doing.
As your tastes change, your health needs change, or your lifestyle changes, you can also readjust your personal exercise style to fit your needs. That is the best part of determining your own personal exercise style. It brings self-awareness to your current physiological and health needs, as well as your emotional and social preferences for exercise.
You may see yourself in one of these categories, or you may see yourself in more than one. Try to number each category according to which one’s are most important to you, and which ones fit into your current health needs and lifestyle.
Athlete – If you consider yourself and athlete, exercise is second nature to you. You probably just need to find a physical activity (or two, or three) in your off-season. To keep your body in tip top shape, pick a challenging exercise, like something you don’t normally do.
For people who “used to” consider themselves athletes, or played sports in school and no longer exercise, may lament not being able to do the same types of activities that they did before. If you were on your high school baseball team, join a softball team. If you were a basketball player, find other people of your age and ability that also want to play a friendly game ofbasketball.
Busy Lifestyle – When you go non-stop because of your job and your life, you may have to multi-task to get your exercise in. Need to be on the phone after hours? Consider taking up treadmill walking or cyclcing on a stationary bike. Squeeze quick work outs into lunch hours.
Competitive – Competition is your thing, and unless there is a chance of winning, you don’t want any part of it. There are plenty of physical activities and exercises that can fulfill your competitive needs. A lot of communities have frequent road races for runners or cyclists. If running or biking suits you, try one of those.
If you prefer a more one-on-one approach to competition, find a local racquetball league. You will be playing against other competitive people, and when the league is over, you will have gained some new racquetball or other competitive sport buddies.
There are also less direct ways to quench your competitive spirit. Working out with or near other people can spark your competitiveness, as you race against their effort and speed.
Non-Exerciser – Exercise to you means carrying in the groceries from the car. Non-exercisers have to work harder at finding exercise they like. Walking is the easiest place to start. Also, pick up a cheap VHS tape of some low-impact yoga, pilates or aerobic work out. VHS tapes these days can run as low as $1.99, so it’s worth trying.
Non-exercisers may also need to jump-start an exercise routine by joining a gym or a physical fitness facility with group fitness classes. Non-exercisers should also try to be experimental, and try new activities.
Outdoor Type – When you’d rather be outside than anywhere else, exercising inside will not make you happy. Outdoor exercise opportunities are endless. For those living in seasonal climates, simply be willing to change exercises with the seasons.
Parent – When you are a parent your responsibilities are 24-7 with no coffee breaks, weekends off or vacation days. When you cannot find time to exercise by yourself, or would rather be with your children while you exercise, you need to find group activities that accommodate all of your needs.
Check the local YMCA or fitness facility for family classes, or family swim time. Look for family or parent/child yoga classes or karate classes. Consider otherfamily activities like ice skating, skiing or rollerblading.
