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Together in exercise
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Those wanting to get started on exercises need inspiration and a few words of caution. That's where a friend steps in
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MAINTAINING A programme of regular exercise is a lot like kicking a smoking habit or going on a diet. Not everyone gets it right the first time, and doing it successfully often involves a few failed initial attempts. Those who succeed take a graduated path to the destination, and there are a few well-defined stages on this route.
First is pre-contemplation, a stage when people are subconsciously thinking about exercise but not too seriously. People need time to realise for themselves that they ought to exercise, and gentle, non-intrusive and non-aggressive encouragement from friends can speed up the process. On the other hand, marketing exercise too aggressively to such folks can scare them off.
Next is the stage of serious contemplation. People often think aloud about wanting to work out. Some decide against exercise because they assume they do not have the time for it. Friends who can be at hand to squash the negative ideas and who offer encouragement at this stage can help make the difference between exercise as wishful thinking and exercise as concrete action.
Next comes the stage of preparation, and often this is where sedentary people show the most enthusiasm. A convert to exercise goes on a shopping spree for shoes, gym memberships and workout apparel. All this is fine, but buying the wrong stuff can be counter-productive.
At this stage, the fresh convert needs a clear-eyed friend, an experienced gym trainer and an orthopaedic to guide him through the hype and around the poorly designed exercise equipment and techniques.
Next comes "action!" Beginners are the most enthusiastic at working out, but they are also the most vulnerable to injury. Their enthusiasm wanes when the results of exercise plateau off after an initial peak.
Beginners need encouragement, but they also need caution and a good friend to point out gently that real progress in exercise is hard and slow.
The first few weeks are also the toughest to get through, and friends who volunteer to be a pain in the butt — by ringing the doorbell and the phone to death till the victim crawls out of bed and puts on a pair of jogging sneakers — are worth their weight in gold.
Maintaining an exercise programme is tough, and here too friends can help. Working out in a group allows friends to keep each other's motivation levels up. Motivation becomes easier when the group is working towards a common goal — like preparing for a year-end walkathon.
RAJIV M.
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