Immediate Rewards Keep People Exercising

Exercising to lose weight? Nice idea, unlikely reality. Exercising because it makes you feel good? Nicer idea, and one with a pretty good chance that you’ll actually follow through with it. That’s the thesis put forth by New York Times health columnist Jane Brody, who backs it up with personal experience and the wisdom of Michelle Segar, director of the Sport, Health and Activity Research and Policy Center at the University of Michigan. Segar, who is also the author of “No Sweat: How the Simple Science of Motivation Can Bring You a Lifetime of Fitness,” suggests that we focus on the idea that “everything counts” — taking the stairs instead of the elevator, weeding the garden, dancing, even walking to the water cooler,” writes Brody.  Brody cites Segar’s advice that “the more energy you give to caring for yourself, the more energy you have for everything else.” Wait, there’s more: Segar wants us to know that it’s OK to make self-care through physical activity a priority. “When we do not prioritize our own self-care because we are busy serving others, our energy is not replenished,” Segar writes. “Instead, we are exhausted, and our ability to be there for anyone or anything else is compromised.”