The Blackboard
(September 2002)

“Exercise Environments & Doin’ the Happy Dance”
By Ron Jones, MS

        If you want to stick with an exercise program you should consider finding an environment (place or setting) where you enjoy exercising.  It sounds simple, but many times people try to force themselves into exercising somewhere or with someone that they don’t like.  If you don’t like where you are exercising or the people who are at your exercise setting, it will discourage you from exercising.  It’s hard to do the “happy dance” when the gym sucks or the people around you are messing with your rhythm.  A large study was published in Australia recently. The study looked at the relationship between adult walkers’ social environments and how they stuck with their exercise programs.  The more people liked their environments, the more they walked.  If they did not like the social environment, whether the physical setting or the people around them, they walked less.

        Bottom line—find a place you like so you’ll keep exercising.  You might also try a workout partner.  Your partner can be a person or even a dog.  Dogs are exercise machines with fur!  Most dogs love to walk if you get them in a regular routine.  And guess what?  Finding a friendly and enthusiastic dog might be easier than finding a human workout partner that doesn’t complain! 

        A local example of a positive exercise environment is the Panorama Drive walking path along the bluffs near BC.  The city threw down some pavement and a few trees and Walla!  Now hundreds of people flock to the small path area everyday.  It’s now hard to find a parking spot in the early evenings—this brings up our topic of environments influencing exercise.  Why do these people “drive” to Panorama to walk?  They could walk at home or somewhere else.  They “like” the environment of the Panorama Bluffs pathway; therefore, they are probably walking more and enjoying the walk as well.  It’s a good idea.  We need more nice places to be physically active so more people will feel comfortable with exercise.  Are you in a rut?  Is your exercise setting or environment giving you a bad attitude?  Try changing locations or getting a workout partner (with or without fur!).  You might like it…and that’s the whole point.  If you like exercising more, you’re more likely to stick with it.  Next month I’m writing about my interview with fitness pioneer Jack LaLanne and the September 26, 2002 dedication of his own Hollywood star.  Until next month, find a nice exercise environment you will enjoy and “Keep Movin’!” as Jack would say.

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