[ read time ~ 2 minutes + VIDEO ]
“You were right,” Shelley said. “It’s a simple exercise to do, but it’s not easy.”
Shelley was 46 years old, and had been dealing with knee pain for over a year. She lived a 3-hour plane ride away, so we met via online video. This was her third session.
“I’m feeling so much better,” she exclaimed, leaning towards her screen with excitement.
But then she hesitated. “Except when I forget to do my quad squeezes.”
Often called an isometric quadriceps exercise, or a quad set, I recommended Shelley perform this exercise at least 50 times a day.
“I just get busy and then before I know it, I’m getting ready for bed and I realize I’ve forgotten to do them that day. But when I remember to do them frequently throughout the day, I don’t hurt as much while I’m sitting at my desk. I’d really like to figure out how to fit the quad squeezes into my day.”
Shelley was describing a common experience for many of my clients. While they are in the habit of setting aside time for sports or activities they enjoy, it’s typically more challenging for them to fit additional exercises into their busy schedules.
Two practices typically help people exercise more often.
The first practice is creating reminders, or triggers, to begin the exercise. They may set an alarm on their phones for particular times. Or they plan to perform the exercise immediately after a particular activity-- like eating, commuting, or checking their email. This works well when someone needs to take a few short walks throughout the day.
The second practice is planning more places where the exercise can be completed. Someone who spends a lot of time in an office, or in airports and hotels, won’t exercise very often if they only do the exercise at home. Having several spots to perform an exercise makes it more likely to happen.
Watch this video to see some of the options that I suggested for Shelley:
Having reminders and multiple locations will increase your likelihood of exercising.
For a step-by-step action plan to return to your active life-- for a customized program to help you increase your enjoyment of your favorite activities--work with me. To learn if working together is a good fit for you, schedule a Strategy Session by clicking here.
Help your friends: share this article on social media by clicking a button below.