By Ross K. Goo

Starting an exercise routine can be fun, but sticking with the program may prove challenging. As a caregiver, so many other things come up during the day.

Staying motivated may seem impossible. These tips may help you stay with the plan!

Make Exercise Fun

Whatever your activity and plan is, make it fun. A fun activity creates a fun attitude toward it. The fun factor of exercise, however, may not always be apparent. There are methods of keeping you involved and interested, and helping you maintain adherence to your plan. Aside from the fun factor, infusing variety is the top method. Mix it up! Some tips:

• Resist the urge to do the same routine every time.
• Change the path you walk.
• Change the swim stroke.
• Buy a new exercise DVD, or borrow from a local library.
• Get a new exercise mat or try a dumbbell or resistance tubing (exercise bands) for a little muscle sculpting.
• Buy or borrow new music.

Variety is the Spice of Exercise

You can build variety into the plan. For instance, every month you can try a different workout, especially while experimenting with new exercise. It will help determine the workout you enjoy the most. Of course, as always when implementing a new exercise, start slow to give your body a chance to adjust to the new challenges. Staying injury free is obviously essential, especially when someone else is counting on you to care for them.

Set Goals

A commonly overlooked motivational tool is goal-setting. Goals help you stay motivated, help your exercise program develop, and help you grow your physical stamina. A caregiver and exercise newbie does not need to have a defined goal to start working out.

Relief from stress, better sleep, and maintaining one’s health for the loved one in care are just some of the reasons to continue working out. Sticking with a workout or a personal goal, even one that is self-serving, is vital. It’s okay to say you want to look better, just as it’s okay to say you want to be stronger for the long days ahead.

Goals revolving around statements like, “I want to be strong enough to lift my loved one out of bed without hurting my back” are equally important as “I want to increase my cardiorespiratory fitness so I’m not winded when I climb those stairs”, or “I wish I looked slimmer,” or, “I wish I was not so tired all the time.” Determining goals keeps you focused and reaching for the results and benefits of exercising. These goals should be concrete, measurable, and divided into smaller steps. Success at achieving each step should be celebrated, even rewarded.

Create a Fitness Plan

Now, if you are utterly stumped in creating a fitness plan, then you can consult a certified personal fitness trainer. These trained professionals will assess your needs, health conditions, ability and then put together a plan based on your interests. They will then guide you and give you instruction as needed. In many ways, trainers are used exactly for this purpose: a full-service, one-stop shop. Some will even come to your home and bring the necessary equipment. Be sure to shop around for one that matches your schedule and understands the constraints you have as a caregiver. Wouldn’t it be nice to be on the receiving end of someone’s time for a change?

Write Down Your Reasons for Exercising

Remember to write down your goals. It is one thing to think in the back of your mind that you want to start exercising, but as the day and all of its challenges unfold it can be easy to forget and slip back into your old way of thinking. Write down all the reasons you want to exercise, and keep the list where you can see it. A list of your goals can be a powerful tool to help you maintain adherence to an exercise routine.