Warning: exercise can be habit forming Published March 29, 2007 By Alison Morrell Warren fitness program manager F.E. Warren AFB, Wyo. -- Exercising regularly can be a difficult habit to maintain, despite all the facts on the merits of exercise and activity. Physical activity has been shown to be the single most important factor in successful weight maintenance. Without exercise, weight loss progress may be agonizingly slow and passing the annual fitness assessment is taxing at best without participation in regular aerobic exercise. Finally, exercise helps lessen stress levels and reduces the risk for many health problems such as high blood pressure and high cholesterol. So why is making exercise a priority so difficult? One of the most cited reasons for lack of physical activity is the inability to find the time and motivation due to busy lifestyles. Among adults in the United States in 1997, 40 percent were found to have lives that required little or no exercise. But surely the military does a better job of keeping fit. Actually, the rates of inactivity in the military mirror that of civilians. A recent study found that among Air Force members, 50 percent exercised less than three times a week. In fact, according to the same study, the Air Force exercised less than any of the other military services. One possible reason for this inactivity could lie in the large number of military members in clerical or administrative positions. Starting and maintaining a fitness routine is not impossible. There are many strategies to incorporate exercise into a part of your day. Here are some tips for making your exercise program 'stick:' - Find a work out partner, someone at a similar fitness level who shares the same goals or has similar goals. - Write down goals and keep them in a common place such as in a day planner or on a computer or desk top. - Use bribes. Set goals for a set amount of time; for example, a month. Then establish rewards to receive once the goal is met, such as buying a new pair of workout shoes, getting a body massage, seeing a movie or purchasing a new exercise outfit. Rewards for losing weight should probably not be food related, but otherwise only budget and imagination are the limits. - Focus on the benefits of exercise - how it feels, the changes to the body, etc. That is one more positive to focus on. - Don't get bogged down if weight loss or other hoped-for benefits are slow in coming. Stay focused on the long term, and again, look forward to the set rewards in the short term. - If it is difficult to make exercise fit into the day, block it out in the calendar as if it were an important meeting and don't let anything interfere with that appointment. - Start slowly. Don't risk getting injured. An injury will slow progress toward goals and it may be very discouraging - Talk to a doctor if there are any medical concerns or are medications that might impact heart rate or ability to exercise. Trying a few of these tips may help make exercise a regular part of life. Once a habit is made, it's hard to break. Call the health and wellness center at 773-4292 to get more information on starting and maintaining an exercise program.