We caught up with Mel Johnson of M3 Studios in Hopewell Boro and talked about how best to safely add exercise back into a daily routine.
Mel Johnson: There’s a powerful internal motivating factor when someone decides to make a change. That change may be sparked by anything; someone could decide they are tired of trying to squeeze into their favorite pair of jeans, want to make sure they are still alive for their kid’s wedding or see the births of their grandchildren. Whatever the reason, there’s a spark that drives that deep desire for change.
Through the years, I’ve seen that motivation many times over and have helped many people harness that energy and spend it over months and years rather than use it all up in a few weeks time. Often the desire for change is so strong that someone decides to make changes in every aspect of their life AND all at once. What I’ve found, when it comes to exercise, is that if you try to change too much, too soon, it becomes unsustainable and after a few weeks, the motivation wanes, the desire dissipates and exercise and wellness falls from the top of someone’s priority list.
To illustrate, let’s assign a value of that motivational energy to 100. If a person uses that motivation to make change in all aspects of their daily life, within four weeks that value of 100 will have been spent. But, if you select one significant change every four weeks or so, then you have expended just 10 points from that overall value of 100. That allows you to select your next lifestyle change, at an expenditure of another 10 points. And so on and so forth… I’ve helped many clients through the years prioritize those changes and set them up for long-term success when motivation strikes.
The pandemic caused us all to rethink how we do fitness. From in-home workouts with virtual trainers and on-line yoga instructors, many enthusiasts also rediscovered walking and hiking in the great outdoors.
Walking is one of the best, low-impact, low barrier-to-entry and a way many people can safely begin to add exercise and movement back into their lives after a period of inactivity. Part of the strategy for long-term success is developing new habits that you can stick to. If you want to begin a walking routine, it’s important to start with a good pair of shoes. From there you can start with a program that begins with two-three days week for a 15-30 minute walk. Continue that over a two-three week period and gradually increase your walk time by 5-10 minutes until you are up to a solid 30 minutes of brisk walking. Listen to your body. Adjust your walks accordingly. Add another day to your routine if things feel good. Back off if something’s not feeling right.
M3 Studios is located in the heart of Hopewell Boro and through the years I have designed walking routines in and around town ranging in times from 15-60 minute walk routes, varying in hills and flats, including St. Michaels and Gazebo Park. If motivation is moving you to get back to exercise and starting a walking program seems like a good place to start, contact me and I can help you map out a walking plan that’s right for you to get started on your long-term fitness journey.
In. Out. Done.
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This article is sponsored content thanks to our advertising partner, M3 Studios.
