Build Your Own Exercise Plan
Do you struggle to maintain a regular exercise routine? One of the most common issues among people that I speak with is that they want to exercise, but they don’t know where to start. Most people overcomplicate things and think that if they don’t have everything planned out perfectly, they won’t see results. Planning is good and setting goals will help keep you motivated, but attempting to lay out everything step-by-step is going to drive you crazy. It’s best to keep it simple and just make sure you’re doing some form of exercise every day.
The thought of joining a gym or paying for an expensive exercise program can be overwhelming. Even the thought of exercising for the first time after a long hiatus is daunting. Because of these pressures, exercise is one of those words that make people cringe when they hear it. They feel guilty for not exercising, because they know their body needs it, yet they dread the thought of trying to find an exercise plan that they can maintain.
Most exercise programs have a big problem
The problem with most exercise programs is that they only work when you fully commit to them. The popular programs advertised on TV feature exercise gurus and sales people going through sets of intense exercise moves and promising an extreme, positive change in your looks. They make it seem like a magical seven-minute routine that morphs you from someone who is hesitant to exercise into a physical phenomenon in less than three months. Some of the exercises in these programs are so complicated and difficult that a lot of people quit within the first week and become unmotivated to try another program.
Exercise shouldn’t be a “one-size fits all” type of physical activity program, the way it’s advertised on TV. Each exercise program 
should be customized to your body and your health. The exercise program you do this year might not be the one that you’ll do next year, and it might be totally different from anything your friends do. The most important thing is that at any given time in your life, you’re doing the type of exercise that’s best for you.
So, what exactly does that mean? How do you know what type of exercise is best for you? In my book How to Live Until You Die I cover examples of people in my own family (including myself) who all struggled with finding the right exercise for them. Depending on their health situation, work situation, and life situation, there were different things that worked. For example, some people sit in traffic for an hour commuting to work and then sit at a desk all day. There are still ways to be active even in a scenario like that. I put together five steps to helping you build your own exercise plan.
- Keep it simple: The best way to get started is to move more today than you did yesterday.
- Be consistent and only compete against yourself: Work on consistency and improvement. Do you like to run? Challenge yourself to run one mile a day for a period of time and increase the distance when you’re ready.
- Focus on moving more during your daily routine: Even simple activity throughout the day increases blood flow, enhances concentration, and boosts energy levels. Make sure you get up and take a five minute walk every couple of hours if you sit at a desk all day.
- Learn your body and what works best for you: Talk to your doctor about any health care issues you are dealing with. Think about the physical activities you enjoyed as a child. Can you turn any of these into an exercise routine?
- Become your own guru: Get your DNA analyzed and figure out what type of exercise will help you get the results you want Knowing your genetic makeup is a key step towards doing the type of exercise that will make you feel good all the time.
And as a bonus, a sixth step (when you feel it’s the right time for you) is to consult with a professional. Hire a certified fitness coach to discuss your exercise goals and routines. They will have a vested interest in your success and will provide continuous advice and accountability. I meet virtually with my personal fitness coach Jeff McMahon every week. If you can afford to hire someone like Jeff, I highly recommend it.
I recently did a blog post about my favorite sports supplement that gives you more power and energy for your workouts. If you are looking for a product to give you more energy and power for your workouts, then PREFITT by NutriFitt is what you are looking for! Trust me. It’s great tasting and an all around amazing product. I love it and highly recommend it!
To learn more about building your own exercise plan, finding the type of exercise that you enjoy and that does wonders for your body, and to discover the seven keys to living happy, healthy, and whole, get your copy of How to Live Until You Die today.
Healthy Blessings,
Dr. Phil
Jerry Seinfeld – Arguably the greatest stand up comedian of all time, his TV show’s final episode aired in 1998, and here we are almost 20 years later and Seinfeld is still on TV everyday of the week. Did you know though that in his first ever stand up set at a local club, he got on stage, completely froze and was booed off the stage? He knew he could do it though and went back the very next night, did his routine, and the rest is history. 
Michael Jordan – This is probably the most famous example of turning failure into success in my mind. It just doesn’t make sense that the best basketball player ever got cut from his high school team his freshman year, but he did. Michael was later quoted with saying, “I have missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I have lost almost 300 games. On 26 occasions I have been entrusted to take the game winning shot, and I missed. I have failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.”
