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E is for Exercise
Exercise is a goal-directed behaviour that requires some form of physical effort with the intention of improving health or performance. By contrast, physical inactivity is simply the expenditure of energy by means of physical effort. All exercise is physical activity, but not all physical activity would be classed as exercise. It may sound like hairs are being split at this point, but the goals to increase the amount of physical activity that people do, be it exercise or simply incidental energy expenditure during their daily activities. No matter what you call it, people often struggle to establish a regular exercise or physical activity habit.
Recent research looking at the reasons people do and don’t exercise found that the number one barrier to exercise given by those who did not exercise was lack of time. This is not a surprise. If you ask people why they don’t do something they basically know they should do, they will say not enough time. Why didn’t you clean the house? Cut the grass? Wash the car? Pay your rates? You can expect lack of time to be one of the most common reasons as to why.
The interesting part of the same study was finding that the main barrier to exercise for people who did regularly exercise was also lack of time. Overall the results showed that lack of time was the main barrier for both exercises and non-exercisers. One conclusion that can be drawn from this finding is that exercise is not a time problem; rather exercise is a priority problem.
If lack of time is your reason for not establishing an exercise routine, perhaps you should re-adjust your priorities. Be a little selfish; take time to look after yourself. Regular exercise and physical activity will make you feel better mentally and physically. If the idea of starting an exercise program seems a little daunting, start on the footpath before you move to the gym. A thirty minute walk per day is a small investment in your health and well-being.
Written by Professor Kerry Mummery
College of Health and Human Services
CQUniversity
