How to get started
Getting into the habit of doing regular physical activity can be difficult for some. The motivation to get moving is different for everyone.
Initially you’ll need external motivation — I want to be able to play with my grandkids or keep driving the car — until you see results and the motivation shifts to internal, Eyler said.
“When you set a goal, you should ask yourself on a scale of 1 to 100, how confident am I that I can do this?” Eyler explained. “It has to be over the 90% level of confidence or you’re not going to do it. Lots of people set these goal too high and then fail.”
Build to your goals.
“Just walk whenever you can,” Eyler said. “You can walk for 10 minutes pretty much anywhere — indoors, at work, at home.”
And, if you’re trying to encourage others, look for positive reasons rather than nagging.
“Telling someone they will be more independent if they take their blood pressure medicine is better than — take your blood pressure medicine,” she said.
Here are some tips about how to start — and how to stay with it — from three gym rats between the ages of 77 and 86. All got started late and have stayed with it. All three work out with Dr. Irv Rubenstein, an exercise scientist who runs STEPS Fitness in Nashville, Tennessee.
I always hated gym class
Kathryn Dettwiller, 77, got pushed into exercising 34 years ago by her husband.
“I always hated gym class,” she said. “I always hated getting down on the floor.”
She works out in a gym twice a week with a trainer, which she said gives her added discipline and motivation.
“The external has become internal because I realize I need it,” she said. She cautioned beginners to expect some setbacks — minor injuries — and not to be discouraged.
“Try it as soon as your body starts playing out on you,” she said. “It’s like a game of Whack-A-Mole. One time your leg hurts, the next time it’s your back.”