5 TIPS FOR FINDING AN ACTIVITY THAT’S RIGHT FOR YOU

1 BRAINSTORM

Remember music class at school, when you got to try different instruments before committing to one? Take the same approach with physical activity. “Tap into your creativity and sense of adventure,” says Matthews. “There are so many fun sports and activities, like touch football, kite flying, walking soccer and disc golf.” Cheadle recommends making a list of 15 activities that have piqued your curiosity. Then read the list aloud and identify two activities you can feel in your belly.

2 TAKE A SMALL STEP

Once you’ve identified potential activities, ask yourself – as Matthews asks clients – what are you willing to commit to today? Maybe it’s going to watch a practice session of a sport you want to try, or making an appointment to tour a new gym. “Each little step moves you closer to your goal,” he says. “Sometimes people surprise themselves and they do more than they expected.” Another approach? Cheadle suggests rating your confidence on a scale of zero to 10. Then, think about what you could do to bump your confidence up one level.

This can help you pinpoint a place to start, she says. For example, if you’re interested in trying boxing but don’t want to walk into class alone, enlist a workout buddy. Or, if you’re anxious because you don’t know what to expect in a class, call the gym or studio beforehand.

3 START SLOWLY

Even if you are over-the-top excited about a fresh activity, make sure to start with just a little bit at a time, as establishing a new habit doesn’t happen overnight. “You need to be measured in your approach and give your body time to acclimate,” says Matthews. “The first few weeks, you’re trying to figure out how to build the activity into your schedule. Once you iron out the wrinkles and stick with it for a month, you start to anticipate and look forward to it.”That’s when you know it’s clicked.

4 FIND YOUR CREW Sometimes it’s not the exercise itself, but the relationships and connections to others that make an activity meaningful and motivating. For example, it was the other people in Waterstraat’s running group that helped make the time fly for him. Even if you prefer to exercise alone, find someone with whom you can share your success – perhaps it’s a postworkout coffee with a friend that keeps you motivated.

5 BE KIND TO YOURSELF

Life is full of ups and downs, and that goes for your exercise habits, too. It’s normal to fall away from your routine from time to time, says Cheadle. It may help to track your progress and look back on how far you have come. “Even on a bad day, it’s important to remember what a bad day looks like now compared to a bad day a little while ago,” says Erlich.