Eighty percent of adults do not get sufficient exercise to prevent cardiovascular disease or other health problems, or prevent and reverse weight gain problems and health problems related to weight gain and obesity. Many people have the intention of doing more exercise – they join a gym or buy home exercise equipment etc., but their compliance is really poor in most cases. One of the proven ways to improve compliance is to combine your exercise routine with something that brings you pleasure as it’s easier to make pleasant activities a habit.

Here are some examples:

• Watch a TV documentary or show you like while doing exercise, or a sporting event of interest.
• Listen to tunes on your phone or iPod while working out, or an audio book, or favourite radio progam or station. Listening to your favourite music, or music that inspires movement, is a great way to pair exercise with something pleasurable and motivating.
• Of course, simply taking dance lessons or a hip hop class, a Zumba class, or even a spin class etc, where music is part of the program, is a great way to make exercise more pleasurable and something to look forward to.

For everyone it’s different. If you have trouble exercising regularly then think about what you can combine it with that will bring you pleasure, or something you look forward to, or will hold your interest so the time goes by faster, where you’re not thinking about the discomfort of the exercise itself. At the end of the day – exercise has to become a habit, so pairing it with something that brings you pleasure makes it so much easier to succeed. Many people who succeed with their exercise goals use this strategy, and so I highly recommend it.

Eat smart, live well, look great.

Dr. James Meschino
DC,MS, ROHP