Exercise: 5 Ways To Jumpstart Your Energy

re you having difficulty getting started with exercise? Your best excuse immediately pops into your mind to interfere with your good intentions. You definitely need some ideas and strategies that will overcome your resistance and make it easier for you to get started.

First, call it what it is - an excuse. An excuse to pass on exercise is a justification to avoid doing what you know is good for you. You make it appear more acceptable or less unpleasant in your mind. You tell yourself you don't have enough time and you believe yourself! Because you believe it is a fact, you decide that it is OK not to exercise. Then you don't feel too guilty about skipping exercise.

You know you don't have time to exercise, but put on your exercise clothes and shoes anyway to counteract your excuse. That will help you to stop believing that you don't have enough time. Decide that you must find the time to exercise. Decide to make time. Then get practical, look at your day timer or PDA and schedule exercise as you would any other important task in your life.

While you are doing these first two steps, it is imperative for you to remember that if you keep on doing the same thing, you will keep on getting the same results. In this case if you keep on pushing exercise to the bottom of the priority list, you will continue to live with a body that is sluggish, overweight and/or has health problems.

Jumpstart your energy level with some energetic breathing, now that you are prepared. Yes, you breathe all the time, but it is ineffective, shallow breathing that doesn't get you much oxygen. You need more oxygen, because more oxygen equals more energy.

Do this little exercise as you read this article. Rate your energy level right now on a scale of zero to 10. Make a note of the number. Is it 4 or 5? Maybe 3? If you are feeling rather energetic, you might rate yourself higher.

Now breathe deep into your belly with abdominal breathing. Pull the air way down by expanding your abdomen. Don't lift your shoulders. Make each inhalation equal in time to the exhalation, so you don't get dizzy. When you start, count one thousand, two thousand, and etc. to make the inhalation equal to the exhalation.

Breathe this way for three minutes. Time yourself so you learn how this really works. If your diaphragm muscle is weak, this may be hard, but stick with it. Just go slowly and do another minute.

Now, rate your energy level again. It is probably 1 to 3 points higher on the scale than it was before you did abdominal breathing. Do this exercise any time you want more energy and especially before you want to exercise. It sends instant energy to your muscles where you need it. More energy translates into more motivation to exercise, so it is easier to overcome your excuses.

Last of all just start doing something for 5 minutes. Move. Get the exercise juices going. Walk around your house. Walk up and down some stairs. Stretch your body over an exercise ball. Grab the dog and start walking. Put some fast music on the stereo. Dance. Jump in the car and go to the nearest park.

It feels really good. Your muscles have been crying out for some action and you have been ignoring them. Move. It only takes a little bit to start to feel good.

Jumpstart your exercise today by naming your excuse, so you immediately have more command over it. Counteract it with a specific plan. Remember that you must do something different to get different results. Start by breathing deeply into your belly for more energy, put on your exercise clothes and get moving.


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About the Author:
Download a free guide to more energy for exercise at http://www.SmartWomenExercise.com. Lynn Kennedy-Baxter, RN MA. delights in helping people find more energy to exercise.

To Have More Energy & Attract The Good Stuff, Spring Clean Your Life

Springtime is a great time to clean up your life in all areas. April showers brought May flowers, the days are longer, and energy seems to be running higher. Some of us just naturally feel urges to clean our nests at this time. Possibly it was a family ritual in your childhood to open your home to fresh air and sunshine, polishing up the windows and clearing out the winter's accumulation of dust bunnies and clutter.

While this time of high energy and Spring renewal is a great time to clean up your homes, yards, and messy cars, it is also a good time to extend this clean-up process to all areas of your life. Putting up with, or tolerating, the messy areas are a huge drain on your energy and, are a noisy distraction from fully enjoying the good things happening in your life and often can cause missed opportunities.

First identify all that you have been tolerating in your life. If you are a normal, red-blooded human being, your list will be really long. This is important: Don't just think about it; write them down. Besides the obvious--home, car, garage, yard/garden, equipment, and office, take a close look at your work, job, or business. Also write down what you are tolerating about your spouse or partner's behaviors and habits, as well as your own behaviors and habits. Everything. Big and small. If it annoys you, trips you up, or nags at you, write it down.

Study your list carefully, and this may sound odd, but note the benefits of having and maintaining these tolerations. List at least one benefit for each toleration and then list the costs of keeping that toleration in place. What damage does it cause you? Is it worth it?

Now pick the costliest toleration on your list and completely eliminate it. Or, if you have to work up to the biggest one, choose ten smaller tolerations and wipe them out first. You will be amazed at the energy you gain by plugging up these leaks. Some of those bigger tolerations will not seem so daunting.

Just remember that when dealing with other people you cannot necessarily change them, but you can enlighten them that you are changing and you will not be tolerating some things you may have put up with in the past. Be very clear what boundaries you have put in place. No need to go on the attack. Be kind, but firm. You may want to invite them to join you in becoming toleration free. It is a very attractive and authentic way live your life.

So get started cleaning up your life and keep whittling away at that list all year round. Plugging up those negative energy drains will allow you to positively attract all sorts of good stuff to your life.

Susan Henderson is a career & life redesign coach who teaches creative multipreneurs how to remove the obstacles in their way to building sustaining and meaningful multiple profit centers. Sign up for her free ecourse, Five Secrets to Making a Living as a Creative Multipreneur at: http://www.susanhenderson.com

Access all issues of her ezine, The Successful Dilettante, which features guest interviews with people who have created satisfying lives rich in their own multiple interests and talents at: http://www.thesuccessfuldilettante.com

To Have More Energy & Attract The Good Stuff, Spring Clean Your Life

Springtime is a great time to clean up your life in all areas. April showers brought May flowers, the days are longer, and energy seems to be running higher. Some of us just naturally feel urges to clean our nests at this time. Possibly it was a family ritual in your childhood to open your home to fresh air and sunshine, polishing up the windows and clearing out the winter's accumulation of dust bunnies and clutter.

While this time of high energy and Spring renewal is a great time to clean up your homes, yards, and messy cars, it is also a good time to extend this clean-up process to all areas of your life. Putting up with, or tolerating, the messy areas are a huge drain on your energy and, are a noisy distraction from fully enjoying the good things happening in your life and often can cause missed opportunities.

First identify all that you have been tolerating in your life. If you are a normal, red-blooded human being, your list will be really long. This is important: Don't just think about it; write them down. Besides the obvious--home, car, garage, yard/garden, equipment, and office, take a close look at your work, job, or business. Also write down what you are tolerating about your spouse or partner's behaviors and habits, as well as your own behaviors and habits. Everything. Big and small. If it annoys you, trips you up, or nags at you, write it down.

Study your list carefully, and this may sound odd, but note the benefits of having and maintaining these tolerations. List at least one benefit for each toleration and then list the costs of keeping that toleration in place. What damage does it cause you? Is it worth it?

Now pick the costliest toleration on your list and completely eliminate it. Or, if you have to work up to the biggest one, choose ten smaller tolerations and wipe them out first. You will be amazed at the energy you gain by plugging up these leaks. Some of those bigger tolerations will not seem so daunting.

Just remember that when dealing with other people you cannot necessarily change them, but you can enlighten them that you are changing and you will not be tolerating some things you may have put up with in the past. Be very clear what boundaries you have put in place. No need to go on the attack. Be kind, but firm. You may want to invite them to join you in becoming toleration free. It is a very attractive and authentic way live your life.

So get started cleaning up your life and keep whittling away at that list all year round. Plugging up those negative energy drains will allow you to positively attract all sorts of good stuff to your life.

Susan Henderson is a career & life redesign coach who teaches creative multipreneurs how to remove the obstacles in their way to building sustaining and meaningful multiple profit centers. Sign up for her free ecourse, Five Secrets to Making a Living as a Creative Multipreneur at: http://www.susanhenderson.com

Access all issues of her ezine, The Successful Dilettante, which features guest interviews with people who have created satisfying lives rich in their own multiple interests and talents at: http://www.thesuccessfuldilettante.com