Enjoyment is the Key to Sticking with Exercise for a Lifetime, New Book Advises

In his new book, “Stick With Exercise For A Lifetime; How to Enjoy Every Minute of It,” former Occidental College swimming and water polo coach and wellness consultant Robert Hopper, PhD provides a concise guide to developing an exercise program and sticking with it.

Dr. Hopper advises a shift in thinking to help people succeed with exercise.

“The core principle? By choosing an activity you enjoy and feel passionate about, you’ll greatly increase your chances of sticking with exercise and improving your health and well-being,” says Dr. Hopper on his website about the new book.

The book advises “selecting any activity you enjoy or even think you might enjoy—be it tennis, golf, dancing, hiking, cycling, skiing, softball, or bowling.”

Then in eight short chapters, filled with real-life examples from athletes and others, Dr. Hopper presents a simple game plan for how you can “follow a set of best practices to maximize your chances of exercise success.”

Contents

The eight chapters of the book include the following (each with an encapsulating quote selected by the author and found in the Table of Contents):

• “Chapter One | FUN — The solution for your best-laid plans
  “The more pleasure you get from physical activity, the more likely it is you’ll want to engage in more of it.“
• Chapter Two | COACH –The guide to reaching your milestones
  “Remember, at one time, Olympic swimmer Dara Torres didn’t know the freestyle.“
• Chapter Three | TEAM–The time and effort optimizer
    “At the low end of exertion, you may join a croquet, archery, ping-pong, or lawn bowling club.“
• Chapter Four | TIME–The good relationship that begins slowly.
  “You may start out thrilled with your once-a-week exercise program and decide to do it every day.  Resist that temptation.“
• Chapter Five | SUPPLEMENTARY FITNESS–Physical fitness as a side dish
  “Instead of health and fitness as your motivation, you’ll try fitness training to get better at your lifetime sport.“
• Chapter Six | CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT–A healthy appetite for exercise
  “Everyone needs feedback in order to improve–even the greatest performers in the world.“
• Chapter Seven | CHAMPIONSHIP MOMENTS — How exactly does one “Just do it”?
  “I can promise you that mental toughness is not a God-given trait.“
• Chapter Eight | SUMMARY & QUICK REFERENCE — Ready, set, go–a course of action” 
  “Early success at each stage in the cycle helps ensure your success at subsequent ones.“

As summarized on the book’s back cover, it includes:

• The seven best practices to guarantee exercise success
• How to make the mental shift from “working out” to “having fun”
• How the exercise secrets of top athletes can work for you
• How to discover and empower your own inner athlete
• How to find plenty of guilt-free time for your favorite sports
• How to build a winning team that supports your exercise goals
• The key techniques for overcoming challenges to your exercise plan

“Dr. Hopper shares the secrets of top athletes, including the Four Winning Techniques for overcoming challenges to your personal exercise plan and the Five Core Best Practices to keep you physically active and motivated for the long haul,” according to the book’s publisher.

The book is available for purchase from Amazon.com (click on the image at left).

“This book offers an important reminder: As adults, we get to pick what fitness activities appeal to us, and we can use our passion to improve our health. … Reading it just might [be] the small start you need to kick off a lifetime fitness habit. Have fun!” writes Catherine Holecko of Family Fitness, About.com, in a review posted on Amazon.com.

Read other reviews of the book, at Amazon.com: Stick with Exercise for a Lifetime: How to Enjoy Every Minute of It!

For more information about Dr. Hopper and his new book, see his website: StickWithExercise.com.

More Information

For more information about a healthy exercise program, healthy diet, and other lifestyle factors that promote wellness and prevent diseases, see the HelpingYouCare^® resource pages on Wellness/ Healthy Living for Seniors & Caregivers, including:

• Exercise: Physical Wellness;
• Diet & Nutrition: Physical Wellness;
• Sleep, Hygiene, Quit Smoking & Other Healthy Practices: Physical Wellness;
• Activities to Preserve Mental Acuity: Intellectual Wellness;
• Social Interaction & A Sense of Connection With Others: Social Wellness;
• Other Areas of Wellness: Emotional, Ethical/ Spiritual & Vocational Wellness; and
• Healthy Living: Stories of Inspiring Seniors.

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Copyright © 2012 Care-Help LLC, publisher of HelpingYouCare^®. All rights reserved.