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Handout #8 - Maintaining a Fitness Program Initially, your goal in exercising is to recover from your low back injury. As you recover you will want to think about strengthening your back and increasing your fitness in order to prevent back pain in the future. On important step in your fitness program is STICKING TO IT! People give many reasons for decreasing or stopping exercise after a period of time. Here are some tips for continuing a fitness program when it seems easier to stop. 1. Your back feels better so why should you exercise? Refer back to the booklet about how our backs work. Strong back muscles can reduce your risk of having a painful episode in the future. Stretching and strengthening are an investment now to prevent low back pain in the future. 2. You are tired when you finish work and don 't want to do another activity. t want to do another activity.Try an exercise that helps you unwind from your workday. A walk for 20 to 30 minutes at a brisk pace can provide enough of a boost to get through the remainder of your day. (This isn 't effective if you need to sleep after work instead of "perking up." If you work second or third shift try exercise when you wake up.)3. An exercise routine is too complicated. Un-complicate it! Walk up stairs instead of using elevators and escalators. Park your car several blocks away from your work and errands. Don 't use your car for all of your errands if you can walk to them. Make multiple trips up the stairs while doing chores instead of carrying one large load. Make extra steps in your day instead of fewer steps.4. Exercising is boring! Walk, stretch or play with a buddy. If you have someone to share the activity with you won 't be bored and time passes quickly. With a buddy you can be competitive if that motivates you or supportive if that motivates you.5. You don 5. You don't have anyone to exercise with. t have anyone to exercise with.Go to the shopping mall or a track or trail. You will find there are other people around doing the same thing you are. Many shopping malls and hospitals have walking routes marked so you can tell how far you 've walked. Then you can try to increase your distance or decrease the time it takes to walk a distance.6. The weather is bad. See # 5 and head for the mall or the hospital! The place is well lit, open late and early, and you 're protected from the elements. In the winter the parking lots are always plowed, too!7. Exercise won 7. Exercise won't do any good.Exercise is shown to lower blood pressure, lower elevated glucose levels, help you lose weight and reduce your risk for heart disease. When you exercise you improve your mood, control your weight and look and feel better.
For information contact rtw_project@montana.edu, Dr. Patricia Butterfield, Montana State University-Bozeman. Do not copy without permission.
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