"New Every Two" - The importance of variety in staying active
Posted by Bud Ward on Fri, Jul 11, 2008 @ 09:10 PM
Verizon Wireless has an upgrade program called "new every two" that gives customers discounts when upgrading their cell phones. The purpose of the program is to encourage people to stay with Verizon and to get them excited about using the service again.
This concept can also be applied to staying active. When I was finishing college about fifteen years ago, I wanted to find new ways to stay in shape. My goal was to try something new every couple of years. I used to joke that I was doing this to "prove that I wasn't getting older". Of course, the reality is that we do get older no matter how hard we try to deny it. However, this doesn't mean that we can't still be active and function at high levels.
Over the last fifteen years, I've participated in indoor soccer, outdoor soccer, martial arts, distance running, and yoga. There have been a few injuries over the years and I still get sore for a day or two after particularly physical soccer games, but I enjoy being able to play. I've always used weight training a core component of my exercise program, but the variety of other activities has helped keep me motivated to stay in shape.
Variety in exercise serves that same purpose as Verizon's "new every two" program. It encourages you to stay with the program and it gets you excited about it. Many people perform the same exercise "routine" for years without any significant changes. The same exercises, the same resistance, the same days of the week, etc. A routine is just that . . . Routine. It is not exciting - it's just part of the routine in our life. When the schedule gets hectic, the exercise "routine" is often the first thing to get cut from our to do lists.
If you really want to stay active throughout your life, you have to commit to it and make it a non-negotiable part of your schedule. Decide to try something new every so often to keep things interesting. Choose activities that you enjoy and are likely to continue. Of course, always make sure you prepare for any new activity appropriately with medical clearance.