More Post-Bariatric Surgery Tips: Goals and Motivation
Before we go into any more specifics about the exercises you should be doing post-bariatric surgery, let’s talk about goals and motivation. Because they are what will keep you going, keep you moving, keep you doing what you need to do-when you least feel like doing it!
The obvious goal is overall health. You’ve taken a giant step toward that goal by choosing bariatric surgery or some other weight-loss procedure. But the surgery alone isn’t enough to make you healthy: that part is in your hands. It’s entirely up to you whether you become a fit, healthy individual or go back to being obese and unhealthy.
So how do you keep that goal in mind, and stay motivated?
In a recent article we talked about the first things you can do-parking on the far end of the car park from your destination, using the stairs instead of the lift, doing crunches whilst watching television. If you’ve been doing that for a few weeks, it’s time to graduate to a slightly more intense regime.
But you’re not in training for a marathon or the Olympic Games! Sensible exercise doesn’t need to take up much of your time at all.
Your goal should be to exercise 30 minutes every day. That’s all. The time it takes to brew and drink a pot of tea. It’s nothing. And you don’t even have to do it all at once! You can break the half-hour of exercise into three 10-minute sessions at first.
We’ll talk about some specific exercises in the weeks to come, but for now, here are some tips to keep you motivated:
1.Begin your exercise programme gradually. (You don’t want to get injured, and you don’t want to over-do so that you’ll never want to get on the treadmill or bicycle again!)
2.Vary your workouts. (This keeps you from getting bored, because boredom is one of exercise’s worst enemies. Don’t do the same thing over and over again.)
3.Develop specific and realistic goals. (“I want to be able to go up a flight of stairs without becoming out of breath.”)
4.Anticipate obstacles-have a back-up plan. (If you normally take a walk outside, what do you do when it rains? Have your alternative exercise ready in your mind so you can turn to it immediately.)
5.Keep walking shoes or exercise clothes in the car. (Sometimes the best exercise is spontaneous. Go for a drive, see what’s out there on a street or lane you haven’t explored before, stop the car and enjoy a walk.)
