Patience, patience, patience. One of the reasons that exercise programs rarely work for people is because we are not brought up to wait. Everything is on demand, from our favorite TV shows to our grocery purchases. With the internet, we can get anything we want with the click of a button. We know to stay away from Diet pills and "too good to be true" exercise programs on TV, but they do look so tempting - just fifteen minutes a day and six weeks to a perfect body? Sign me up!
But those results, if you are able to withstand the program long enough to get them, are not permanent, and are not healthful. Your goal should be different - your goal should include the words "lifelong" and "fit," not "skinny" and "ASAP." And what that takes is patience, because that kind of success isn't meant to happen overnight. It will take months, even years to achieve the fitness goals you want to reach.
Patience is a skill, not something we are born with. I'll say that again, in case you skimmed over it the first time: patience is a skill, not something we are born with. Got it? Good. And when you want to improve a skill, you have to practice. Choose the longest line at the grocery store next time. Take the longer route to get to work in the morning. Get into the slow lane of traffic. Walk to the corner store instead of driving. Take deep breaths, relax your shoulders and your hands, and smile. Those three things can instantly make you feel better about whatever situation you're in. Note what techniques work best for you and save them in your bag of tricks. You will need them later.
What works for others probably won't work for you. If there were one magical exercise or technique that worked for everyone, there wouldn't be such a huge variety of exercises out there to choose from. It doesn't matter what your skill level is, what your activity level is, or what your interests are: there is something out there for you. The trick is finding it. You may already know exactly what you want to do. Maybe you have happy childhood memories of playing soccer or tag with your friends. Maybe you have always loved to bowl.
But maybe you've never been active, and you have no idea where to begin. I suggest starting with the Big Three: running, cycling, and swimming. Give each of them a good, real-life try. In other words, try each of them three times: once to learn your way around the motion, once to get used to it and get a groove going, and once to do it the way you'd be doing it every time - with proper posture and technique. Only then will you know if something is going to work for you. If one of the Big Three catches your fancy, then you have something to go on. If not, then perhaps something more social is in order. Pay attention to how you feel and what you wish you had when you're trying new things out.
Go on the Internet - this can be a tremendous resource for information and opinions. Thinking about rock-climbing, but don't know where to start or whether you'll like it? Go to a rock-climbing forum and ask questions. Don't be shy; most people who are passionate about a certain activity will have NO PROBLEM talking all day about it, answering questions and giving their personal experience. Soak it all in, and soon you will hit on something that will work for you.
Finally, don't let ANYONE tell you that what you've chosen is somehow wrong or inappropriate. Only you know what you truly enjoy, and paying attention to social attitudes towards that activity will only lead to misery. If you want to try boxing, power-walking, karate, parkour, or any other stigmatized exercise, then just go ahead and do it! Regardless of what other people say, your goal is to get fit, not to fit in.
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