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Thursday, July 14, 2016

Changing habits for the better


I hate to admit it but I am trained as a Social/Organizational Psychologist and made my pre-retirement living most recently doing executive coaching to produce behavior change. You'd think I would apply my knowledge to my own behavior LOL.

Well, I haven't spent the time really thinking about the barriers to creating an exercise habit that weren't environmental (weather mostly). Finally I did.

In the mornings I am up early and full of energy. I stay busy and get things done.

Afternoons are my slump time. I end up reading and eating at home or going to the coffee house to do the same. I am bored and lonely.

So I have rejoined a medical center wellness center that has a gym, indoor pool and lots of exercise classes. My plan is to exercise in the afternoon instead of - well, reading and eating.

I started yesterday afternoon by going to a class that started at 3:00. The class was much the same to the stretching DVD I have intended to follow each morning and didn't.

The difference was that I laughed, visited with others and didn't eat cookies or cake at the coffee shop. I wrote down my weight and what I did to exercise in a log book.

Today I will start lap swimming although I know from the past that I can't swim very long or far at this point.

If I keep fully in mind that I am substituting behaviors in an attempt to change habits then perhaps this approach will work. I know it does if you stick with it.

4 comments:

  1. A good thing about exercising away from home is that you are farther from your fridge. I find that to be helpful.

    I'm energetic in the mornings, but I have a period where I'm able to sit and concentrate in the late afternoons. It's like I've tired myself out enough that I'm happy to stay put and think or work.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Good point about distance from the fridge LOL.

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  2. That sounds like a successful change for you. I go to a health club two or three times a week which gets me moving. I have been doing this for 15 years and it is a great habit you are cultivating now.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Wow, 15 years is a great track record! That is a new challenge level for me as mine record has been on and off.

      Delete

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