How many meetings and appointments do you have booked in your diary this week? Are any of these with yourself or investing time into your health and wellbeing?
Scheduling tasks is a behavioural trick to help you to successfully create new and lasting habits. When you schedule a task you are making a commitment of your time and you are declaring your intention to do something, which increases your chance of success.
To make progress towards your health and wellbeing goals you need to commit to taking steps towards them. These steps can be big or small, but consistency is key. When it comes to setting up an exercise routine, some days it may be a 10 minute walk in the sunshine at lunchtime and another day it could be an intense workout in the gym. The short and long term benefits are significant when you commit to regular exercise.
Taking the time to plan and schedule your exercise schedule is important. For added motivation here are some of the top benefits you will see from committing to a regular exercise schedule:
1. Improved muscle strength – this takes time to build up over time and has so many benefits outside the gym in your everyday activities.
2. Boost your endurance – the more regularly you do something, the easier it becomes and longer you are able to keep doing it.
3. Control you weight – Exercise can help prevent excess weight gain or maintain weight loss. When you engage in physical activities you burn calories and the more intense the activity the more calories you burn.
4. Fight health conditions and diseases – Regular exercise keeps your blood flowing which decreases your risk of cardiovascular diseases, and it also helps prevent or manage many health conditions including. stroke, high blood pressure, Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes, anxiety and falls.
5. Improved mood – Physical activity stimulates the feel good brain chemicals that increase your mood, leaving you feeling happier, more relaxed and less anxious
6. Boost Energy – It is a common misconception, ‘i don’t have enough energy for exercise’, however exercise can increase your overall energy levels as it delivers oxygen and nutrients to your tissues and helps your cardiovascular system work more efficiently.
7. Promotes better sleep – Regular physical activity can help you fall asleep faster, get a better and deeper sleep. However, don’t exercise too close to bedtime, or you may be too energised to go to sleep, go for a gentle yoga practice in the evenings to wind down for sleep.
So take a moment now and look at your diary, where do you want to schedule time to invest in your long term health? Plan your week in advance and spread your exercise activities throughout the week, choosing activities that you enjoy and that will take you closer to your health and wellbeing goals.
If you don’t know where to start, reach out to us for a chat, we’d be happy to help