As a certified personal Trainer whose primary focus is special populations and senior health, I’m always sympathetic when asked to train people who haven’t exercised in years.
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Secrets for Adding More Exercise To Your Day
Over the years, I have developed a simple, non-threatening program to help people overcome their fears and start exercising. Here’s how to do it!
Make it Fun!
First, I convince them exercise is nothing more than child’s play, and second, I show them that just like child’s play, it can be fun!
Use Fond Memories
Before I even attempt to teach some basics, I sit my client down on a chair facing me and ask them to remember back to their childhoods or even tell me about the goofy things their kids or grandkids do, like rolling around on the floor, doing somersaults, bouncing on the floor, and things like that. (No, we don’t bounce Grandma on the floor.)
You Don’t Even Know It’s Excerisize
After a few minutes – talking and laughing about their memories, I ask if they could do me a favor and stand up. Without hesitation, they stand up, and I quickly ask if they can sit down. Then, before they can react, I ask them to stand up again and praise them for doing two squats on their own. In every case, the client is astounded that they just did a squat.
Use Everyday Movements
I use this method to ease folks into the first phase of an exercise program by showing them how everyday movements can be considered exercise if you do more than one.
Teaching Simple Moves
From there, I teach folks how to use their legs to stomp the floor while seated in an exercise I call “kill the cockroaches.” As they stomp the floor, I point where I want them to move their legs by joking, “There’s a roach, get it!”
Building On It
After a few sessions, I get folks to trust me and begin exercising with weights, bands, and balls, even progressing to boxing with real gloves.
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