Steps to Grow Your Exercise Confidence
Do you remember the first time you learned to ride your bike or did the monkey bars on your own? It was scary, but once you did it you were confident you could do it again. My five-year-old daughter, Emersyn, and I participated in a dead-lifting* event yesterday. It took a lot of courage for her to dead-lift in front of so many people. But when she was done, I could see her confidence grow exponentially. Research shows adults can grow their exercise confidence in a very similar way…
The strongest predictor of our exercise confidence is our past performance accomplishments. In other words, when you achieve physical goals, it grows your belief in your ability to do like and related activities again in the future. I’m not suggesting that we all run out the door and start cartwheeling down the side walk. But what small steps can you take this week that build on what you did last week? Examples relative to your current fitness are listed as follows:
• Beginning exercisers could start with a 10-15 minute walk/day.
• People who currently do aerobic exercise could add some resistance training exercises to their regimen. For example, adding two sets of ten, body weight squats, push-ups, and sit-ups twice a week.
• Regular exercisers could sign up for a fun exercise related event like a 5k or a sport of choice in the Iowa Games (or your state games).
• Feeling tired today? Reflect on why you exercise- what are your exercise reasons (e.g. it’s fun, health is something you value, decreases stress and anxiety, etc.). Use your reasons to grow your energy to get out the door. Persisting in your exercise regimen despite feeling fatigued will grow your confidence to persevere the next time you face a barrier to exercise.
Call to Action
What step could you take this week in growing your exercise confidence? Whether registering for a road race, signing up for a new group fitness class, or trying a new exercise— be courageous! Stepping out in courage does not mean you will be fearless. Instead, courage means taking a risk despite feeling fearful. The more you step out in courage, fear will shrink and it will be replaced with confidence.
*Contrary to popular belief resistance training does not stunt the growth of a developing child. Instead, it improves muscular strength, power, endurance, physical functioning, and body composition in a very similar way that it improves the health and fitness of adults.
References
Bandura, A. (1977). Self-efficacy: Toward a Unifying Theory of Behavioral Change. Psychological Review, 84, 191–215.
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