ADVERTISING: Advertorial — DR. WENDY CUNNINGHAM: Tips for sticking to your exercise routine

Does this sound familiar? Your health care provider recommends an exercise or rehab program for you. You start the program full of enthusiasm and discipline, only to drop out after a few weeks or months. If this happens to you, you are not alone. Statistics show that 50% of participants quit exercise programs within the first six months. Here are three scientifically proven approaches to making an exercise routine a healthy habit for life.

Set goals. Goal setting has a positive impact on outcomes. The more specific you are with these goals, the better the result. Find something in your exercise program that is measurable for setting your goals. A good place to start is setting the number of times you will perform your exercise program per week, time spent on a specific activity, or the number of reps and sets of the specific exercises you are performing. If you are not sure where to start, ask your health care provider.

Make a plan. Without making an actionable plan, goals are nearly impossible to achieve. Define exactly when and where you want to do your exercise or rehab program. For example, you want to get up early and exercise before breakfast at home. Plan for the time commitment and make sure you have any equipment you need ready to go.

Monitor your progress. Numerous studies prove that combining goals and action plans with self-monitoring will increase your performance and results by as much as 17%. Self-monitoring can increase accountability and create awareness. This makes it one of the most effective strategies to successfully implement lifestyle changes. How do you make this work for you? Track your exercise program in terms of sets, reps or time, and share the results on a regular basis with your health care professional. This will not only increase your chances of sticking to the program, but it also allows your provider to see how you are doing and make changes to your routine if needed.

Exercise is essential for optimal health. If you are not currently exercising, now is a great time to start!

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For more information, contact Dr. Wendy Cunningham at haydenhealth@gmail.com.