9 of 30

Write now Article Tools

50% - 65% of people who start an exercise program will drop out within a few - 3 to 6 - months of beginning the program, the majority in the first few weeks (1). Over 63% of American's are overweight according to trends the CDC are following and these trends are showing that those numbers will continue to climb.

Before reading on stop and think where you fall into these stats. Unfortunately there is a good chance that you fall into one or both of these categories and are trying to figure out how to become fit and healthy not just lose weight.

What also may be likely is that you have tried to exercise on your own, gone to a gym maybe even hired a personal trainer but nothing has stuck. Traditional exercise programs are very difficult for the majority of people to adhere to because they require a commitment to be someplace and do something at a specific time that is often challenging and even impossible to bring into the hectic lifestyles that we lead.

Luckily research is on our side. James Levine at the Mayo Clinic is studying the cause of Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis otherwise known as NEAT and if it can be an effective means getting exercise vs. the aerobic class or trip to the gym. Their findings will make you failed gym members jump for joy.

The folks over at Mayo found that when people actively incorporate movements such as walking or stretch into their daily routine got a better health and fitness benefit then those that just worked out for 30 -60 minutes per day 3-5 times per week. It comes down to the numbers If you are moving more through out your daily routine say 60% of your day vs. 5% of your day you are going to burn more calories and have more energy.

MOVE (a program for non exercisers), gives guidance and ideas on how to incorporate more movement into your day. From a behavior change perspective this is far easier to achieve than a structured exercise routine because you are blending the exercise into the existing daily routine not trying to alter the daily routine. And there are plenty of things you can do for strength and flexibility no matter what you are doing.

Start small if you are extremely busy or have a lot going on in your life. Don't try to add in too much. One exercise a day for 1 minute for 30 days is a great way to start. After 30 days you can add a second exercise that takes another minute and they don't have to be done together either. The body will release those feel good hormones to help root these exercises as habits. MOVE treats exercise as an any place any time thing to do rather than stop what you are doing to exercise.

For tips and a community of fellow MOVErs you can follow http://twitter.com/fitplicity for your daily exercises and even tweet back your accomplishments. Sharing your success with others is another great way to root your habit of exercise.

If you are trying to motivate kids to get up off the coach more MOVE is a great program for them as well. Wii has become pretty popular and has actually been shown to be an effective form of exercise according to the American council on exercise.

Geo Caching is a great family fun activity that is very affordable and gets everyone out of the house www.geocaching.com.

Small movements everyday add up and then before you know it they inspire you to do more. Don't take the all or nothing approach it will keep you a statistic. Incorporating MOVE so you can be a success story.

1. Annesi, 2003: Annesi & Unruh, 2007: Dishman, 1988

Learn more about this author, Audrey Kerchner.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.

Add your voice

Know something about How to incorporate exercise into your everyday life?
We want to hear your view. Write now!