Tips for Getting More Exercise

5. Find a gym that’s close to home or work.
I really don’t like going to the gym, so I find it difficult to force myself to go when there isn’t a gym really close by or when the memberships are pricey. Look for a gym near where you work or live. Most YMCAs have gym facilities with rates that are competitive with the bigger national fitness chains. I belong to the gym at my office building, because it means I have fewer excuses to avoid working out.

Some fitness centers really aren’t set up to accommodate people with physical limitations. Often the physical trainers and staff don’t have experience helping people with arthritis. Look for a gym that has staff and trainers with this experience. It’s ok to ask how many people with functional difficulties have memberships there. When I lived in Columbus, Ohio I had a membership at Victory Fitness Center for women. The great thing about it was that there was a good mix of women members. Many were young, active college students and competitive weightlifters, but there were also many older women with physical limitations, some using walkers. The staff was helpful and experienced. The gym also had a small heated pool for water aerobics, a class that always filled up quickly.

If you have limited choice of fitness centers, and there aren’t many activities or pieces of equipment that you feel you can safely use, try to negotiate for a limited membership to use just the equipment and services that you can use. Fitness centers always want new members, and they will often try to accommodate.

6. Play the TV exercise game.
When I was a child, I hated doing my exercises. They were boring, they hurt and every night became a battle between my parents making me do them and me crying. So they learned to distract me by having me do them during my evening TV shows. If I wanted to lay on the floor to watch the Muppets, I had to be doing my exercises. My parents even hung a pulley from the exposed beams in the living room and tied up a gallon milk jug full of water for me to lift.

It just tales a little willpower to get a few exercises in while watching your favorite shows. These days, I keep my weights, ball and TheraBand in a basket right next to my TV. Each character in my favorite shows has a different associated exercise like crunches, leg lifts, etc. When that person comes on the screen, I do 1-2 sets of that exercise.

It’s also good to keep hand strengthening putty or exercisers on the coffee table. There’s no excuse for not squeezing the ball or putty while laughing to your favorite sitcom.

7. Make household items and activities into strengthening tools.
Before there were thousands of brands of free weights and exercise equipment, there was good old soup cans and plastic milk jugs. If you don’t have weights or don’t want to invest in them, then lift large soup cans while you watch TV.

Vacuuming, cleaning and other household chores all burn at least a few calories and get you moving. If one of your favorite activities is cooking, don’t let soreness in your hands stop you. Baking bread is also a good activity. Kneading the dough may be difficult at times, but it does help strengthen the hands.