It’s no mystery that life can be hectic, with work, family, social obligations and ensuring we get enough sleep every night. Therefore it can sometimes feel daunting to be told we need to add exercise to this schedule.
For those with heart and cardiovascular conditions, increasing exercise levels is often a key part of their disease management/treatment. Often, however, the hardest aspect of this is starting, but it doesn’t need to be. Exercise doesn’t have to be daunting, it can be a fun tool to help release stress and make you feel better both physically and mentally – it can even become your heart’s best friend.
- Start small for long-lasting change
It’s always important to check with your doctor first, however, the European Cardiology Society (ESC) recommends 150 minutes per week (approx. 20 minutes per day) of moderate-intensity exercise for individuals with cardiovascular conditions.1 It is important to ease yourself into exercising, as whilst your heart may be strong enough, starting with too much exercise too soon might elevate the risk of musculoskeletal injuries.2
Start simple, even 10 minutes per day. Go on a walk, try a new YouTube workout, or stand up and walk on the spot during your favourite TV show. Every movement counts, especially if done daily. Once your body gets used to this level of exercise, you can gently increase the training load. Ultimately, it’s about starting!
- Think like a sporty person (change how you see yourself)
How you see yourself plays a crucial role in creating lasting behaviour change.3 It’s very easy to resign yourself to thinking, “I just don’t have the time to exercise”, or “I don’t enjoy exercising”. It’s therefore important to try flipping the narrative to build a positive relationship with exercise.
It’s not about lying to yourself, setting unrealistic expectations, or changing your identity overnight. Each tiny action, like dancing in the kitchen or taking the stairs instead of the elevator will help to reinforce the new image of yourself. Over time, this mindset shift will make exercise feel less like a chore and more like something you enjoy – because it’s who you are.
- Find something you actually enjoy
Turn up the music and dance like no one’s watching (trust me, no one is). Prefer the water, try water aerobics or gentle swimming. Incorporating exercise with something you already enjoy makes it easier to start and stick to.4
There will always be days when you don’t feel like it, especially when starting. Motivation will become easier the more often you exercise and when you start to feel progress. Be patient with yourself. Try different things and try them often, because sometimes it takes a while until they become fun.
- Make it a social activity – find your exercise buddies
It’s hard to fit everything into your daily schedule, so why not combine some of the activities? Instead of meeting your friends in a cafe, take your coffee to go and take a walk.
Finding a workout buddy can turn exercise into a social activity. You’ll motivate each other to show up, even when you don’t feel like it, and you might even have some fun along the way. Imagine the laughs you’ll have both trying yoga for the first time or rediscovering how uncoordinated you are at a dance class. Exercise doesn’t have to be serious, it can be silly, joyful and importantly shared.
- Focus on the journey, not simply the destination
It’s easy to get caught up in wanting quick results, however, reaching goals takes time and often it can feel like we’re stuck right before we see a big improvement. Focusing on what happens right now, is important. Celebrate your small wins – because they matter. If you started at “zero” and you’re now doing 10 minutes of exercise every day, that’s massive progress. Focus on your journey, one step at a time.
- Schedule it like an important appointment
We put doctor visits and work meetings in our calendar, so why not our workouts? Showing up for yourself and your heart health is just as important. Telling yourself, “I will exercise later”, without actually planning it, usually ends up with “later” mysteriously never showing up. Making time to exercise involves organisation and planning. Do you need to take your exercise clothes with you? Do you need to get up 20 minutes earlier so you can walk to work instead of driving? You can even pair it with something you love. “I’ll listen to my favourite podcast on my walk home.”
It’s important to remember to consult your doctor before you start a new exercise program. They will help you understand your limits and what types of movement are safest for you. Remember exercise should feel like a gentle challenge, not like climbing Mount Everest. It’s not about pushing yourself to the max, it’s about finding something that you can do consistently and realistically. Ideally, it is about having fun!
About Klara: Klara Fuchs has a bachelor’s degree in sports and exercise science and is currently in her final year of medical school. Klara also works as an exercise coach where she uses her expertise to create social content and develop workshops for other organisations.
Klara can be found on LinkedIn, here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/klara-fuchs-96a6aa125/
