HAVE YOU EVER STARTED AN EXERCISE PROGRAM WITH THE GOOD INTENTION THAT - THIS TIME IT WILL BE A LIFELONG COMMITMENT?

Two weeks later you find it difficult to maintain the routine because you find yourself dreading it. Or maybe you push yourself to go but you start cheating a little on the time you spend exercising. One month after you began, YOU QUIT, telling yourself you'll start again as soon as things aren't quite as busy only to find out that day never comes.

WHAT HAPPENED?

If you don't like your exercise program, you won't stick with it.

WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU TRY TO SQUEEZE IN EXERCISE AT DIFFERENT TIMES OF THE DAY - DEPENDING ON HOW THE DAY GOES AT WORK?

You seldom get to exercise because other things invariably come up that take precedence over your exercise.

WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU HAVE NO GOAL WITH YOUR PROGRAM AND NO STEPS TO ACHIEVE THAT GOAL?

If you don't identify what you want to accomplish and how you will accomplish it, your mind will decide that exercise is really not important after all. In order for our minds to justify spending time on ourselves, we must have a good reason for doing it. Whether it is to regain strength, health, clothing size or to get a promotion (some reasons are better than others), you must have a reason to exercise. Enjoyment is the best reason of all.

HOW DO YOU LEARN TO ENJOY EXERCISE?

Exercise can be fun, you just have to find the right type for you. At PRESCRIPTION: HEALTH we carefully discuss your exercise history, past and present, as well as how you feel about exercise and what you hope to accomplish. We identify your support group (friends, family and coworkers), stresses, dietary patterns, occupation and leisure activities. This information provides a framework for personalizing a program that incorporates exercise that is enjoyable, specific to personal goals and that guards against roadblocks that may hinder consistency in exercise. The interview process in the initial consultation is a significant part of developing a program that increases the likelihood of success.

PRESCRIPTION: HEALTH'S goal is to ensure that exercise and nutrition become an integral part of disease prevention, recovery and maintenance of health. I encourage each client to view their exercise goals with an emphasis on the health related benefits associated with exercise. All the other benefits (looking good, fitting into clothing etc.,) should be secondary to the goal of optimum health and those secondary goals WILL BE ATTAINED if you set your goal on obtaining health through exercise and nutrition.