A Motivated Exercise Program
By Wayne L. Westcott

As we consider our resolutions for 2008, exercise should be a top priority. We all know that regular exercise reduces our risk of numerous degenerative conditions including obesity, osteoporosis, diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, colon cancer, breast cancer, back pain, arthritis and general frailty. We are also aware that sensible exercise increases physical fitness, energy utilization and personal appearance.

However, many people don’t know how to make exercise interesting and lack of motivation leads to lax training and program discontinuation. We have found that the two key motivational factors for successful and sustained exercise performance are training variety and brevity.

Training Variety
One means for achieving training variety is called cross-training. Crosstraining simply combines two or three different types of exercise in each training session. For example, instead of pedaling a stationary cycle for 30 minutes, which can be quite monotonous, a 30-minute cross-training alternative could be any of the following:

• 15 minutes stationary cycling and 15 minutes of treadmill walking
• 15 minutes elliptical exercise and 15 minutes of machine stepping
• 15 minutes of treadmill jogging and 15 minutes of machine rowing
• 10 minutes of stationary cycling, 10 minutes of elliptical exercise and 10 minutes of treadmill walking
• 10 minutes of machine stepping, 10 minutes of machine rowing and 10 minutes of treadmill jogging

Another means for attaining training variety is known as interval training. Basically, interval training protocols alternate equal periods of higher-effort exercise and lower-effort exercise. For example, instead of riding the stationary cycle at a constant training intensity (75 watts), alternate three-minute segments at a higher-effort level (100 watts) with three minute segments at a lower-effort level (50 watts). Interval training always makes the workout seem shorter and in the process provides greater exercise benefits (especially the cardiovascular adaptations).

Training Brevity While cross-training and interval training make your exercise sessions more interesting and enjoyable, they may not be the best choice for time-pressured people. If you have difficulty finding 30-minute time segments for exercise purposes, consider doing abbreviated training sessions. The newly-released exercise guidelines from the American Heart Association and the American College of Sports Medicine present both the standard 30-minute workout (five days a week) and an alternative 20-minute workout (three days a week). You may be wondering how the shorter training sessions (60 minutes per week) could be equivalent to the longer training sessions (150 minutes per week)? The difference is the exercise intensity. Three 20-minute sessions a week at a higher exercise intensity (e.g., jogging) are actually more beneficial than five 30-minute sessions a week at a lower exercise intensity (e.g., walking).

Although these exercise recommendations may make your training sessions more challenging, this will provide its own motivation. Just be sure to set realistic goals, establish a systematic exercise program, and make gradual training progressions. In this manner, you should soon be looking forward to each training session and a lifetime of purposeful exercise for enhanced health and fitness.

About The Author
Wayne L. Westcott, Ph.D., is fitness research director at the South Shore YMCA in Quincy and author of the new book Get Stronger, Feel Younger.