As someone who is passionate about eating a balanced diet and keeping active, my ears perked up when one of our clients said they are a SilverSneakers Member. SilverSneakers is a program that has collaborated with fitness facilities to provide free gym memberships and fitness classes to older adults. What a wonderful idea! Now if only we could stop coming up with a never-ending list of reasons to not exercise…
In my mind, there are 3 general reasons why we do not exercise:
- No minutes
- No motivation
- No money
We all have busy schedules and some days just finding the time to eat lunch, let alone exercise can be challenging. I am with you. I’ve said it – “I don’t have time to exercise.” However I think Richard Carlson phrases it better in his book Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff at Work when he says, “I don’t have time not to exercise.” He goes on to say, “If you lose your health and sense of well-being, you won’t make it to work at all. In the long run, it takes far less time to take care of yourself than it does to lose your ability to function well.”
So if we choose to make the time, we may sometimes still lack the motivation. I wish I had the perfect motivational quote for you that would make you want to jump off that couch and hit the gym! The problem is that doesn’t exist. We are all motivated in different ways and by different things so you need to find out what makes you tick. I can promise you one thing, once you start and develop a healthy habit – you won’t want to stop.
Now here you are – motivated and ready to exercise. You’ve blocked out time in your schedule. There is just one problem: To your dismay, that gym down the street is not free admittance. I will be the first to say that you do not have to go to a gym or fitness class to exercise. You can step out your door and walk down the street free of charge! However, if you’re anything like me that is going to get monotonous fast. You can also work out at home (as I do) however, you will still likely have to purchase some equipment. This why I was happy to hear about the SilverSneakers program. If you are 65 or older, you can fill out a simple form online to see if your health plan covers a free membership.
We help our clients plan for the future and that future is not solely dependent on your finances. It’s your life. Plan for it.