Exercise with purpose. Be present and mindful.
Try to be goal-oriented and mindful in your exercise, not to increase your stress, but to give the activity meaning. Increase your miles or your time if you run. Increase your load or your repetitions if you strength train. Increase the difficulty of the position or form for activities where that is appropriate like yoga or martial arts. Improve your technique and your efficiency. Think about the changes that will benefit you the most.
Have fun! But have a purpose.
Do an exercise program that you like doing. Make it fun and you’ll stick with it. Use a coach if you’re doing something new. Have your form checked so you don’t get injured. An injury ends the fun. Read about the type of exercise you’re doing. Watch YouTube videos. Listen to podcasts. Make the program your own.
Yes, there are exercises where you can let your mind wander like jogging or running. But don’t take it too far. Be mindful and in the moment. Enjoy the sites and the surroundings. Be an observer of life. Change your pace. Change your route. Keep your mind off balance so you have to stay in the moment.
Make the exercise challenging
Have goals. This is again not to add stress but to give yourself something to look forward to, to strive for, a purpose. Challenge yourself. The challenge doesn’t have to be big, just enough to make you a little nervous and excited about achieving it. A 5-minute faster run or 15 more pounds on the bar are achievable in the right period of time, yet just outside your comfort zone today.
Age is NOT a factor. Age means experience and gives you more purpose! It only gives you more reasons to exercise!
You’re never too old to get improvement. Our bodies are beautiful machines that respond well to a little push in a positive direction. Please take advantage of this power inside of us to survive, to live, to grow, and to prosper. Harness it for your own gain and enjoyment.
Keeping your mind engaged only helps the body to do better. Stay active so that you can STAY active. Even if you can’t do what you used to be able to do, just doing a little more than you did yesterday leads to growth, physically and mentally. You gain confidence and control over your body so you move better and more safely.
Exercise with mindfulness and purpose!