Monday, April 03, 2006
Getting on Track - Nordic Walking & Goal Setting
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I would like to thank fellow INWA Nordic Walking instructor Fran Loots of: http://www.breathingspaceoutdoors.com/ for contributing the following article. Fran's company 'Breathing Space' offer a range of outdoor activities including Nordic Walking & Nordic Walking holidays in Highland Perthshire and Comrie, Scotland.
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Many people take up Nordic walking because they want to get fitter and/ or lose weight. Like most activities it is easy to quickly let this become another pastime where equipment gathers dust after the initial enthusiasm wanes. There are several ways to avoid this.
Research shows that people are more likely to continue doing something if 3 things are in place:
Share your intentions – be specific
So if you want to make Nordic walking a regular part of your life. talk through what it is that you want to achieve. Talk it over with a variety of people until it is very clear in your own head what you want to do. If you have a clear picture in your head of what you seek to achieve it is easier to make it happen – so make this as specific as possible. For instance: I want to be fit enough to walk for an hour without being out of breath or I want to walk 4 miles in one hour. Create a visual picture of what this looks like – see yourself striding out comfortably in whatever surroundings suit you best.
Find someone
Sometimes people struggle to find someone to take up a new activity with them and that stops them from taking it further so if that is the case for you or someone you know – the next best thing is to find someone who will either agree to meet you at the start of an activity even if they don’t join in or who will phone, text, email or in some way contact you when you are due to set off to check you are doing what you have agreed to do. It is harder to back out of something when you have shared what you plan to do and someone is monitoring you!
Write it down
Make this fun – get a few pictures of what you are aspiring to be and use present tense words about what you are going to do.
"I am fit and do Nordic walking 3 times a week for 30 minutes"
Develop the picture in your head that you have shared with others. Place the pictures/words that you have created somewhere you can see them regularly to remind yourself. Behind a wardrobe door if you are shy or in an obvious place for all to see if you are not. See yourself doing what you want to be is a big step towards it becoming a reality. Using the present tense encourages your mind to see this as a reality – using the future tense postpones the action. Good luck.
Fran Loots
http://www.breathingspaceoutdoors.com
====================================================================
I would like to thank fellow INWA Nordic Walking instructor Fran Loots of: http://www.breathingspaceoutdoors.com/ for contributing the following article. Fran's company 'Breathing Space' offer a range of outdoor activities including Nordic Walking & Nordic Walking holidays in Highland Perthshire and Comrie, Scotland.
====================================================================
Many people take up Nordic walking because they want to get fitter and/ or lose weight. Like most activities it is easy to quickly let this become another pastime where equipment gathers dust after the initial enthusiasm wanes. There are several ways to avoid this.
Research shows that people are more likely to continue doing something if 3 things are in place:
- They have shared what they intend to do with someone else
- They find someone to do this with
- They have written down what they intend to do
Share your intentions – be specific
So if you want to make Nordic walking a regular part of your life. talk through what it is that you want to achieve. Talk it over with a variety of people until it is very clear in your own head what you want to do. If you have a clear picture in your head of what you seek to achieve it is easier to make it happen – so make this as specific as possible. For instance: I want to be fit enough to walk for an hour without being out of breath or I want to walk 4 miles in one hour. Create a visual picture of what this looks like – see yourself striding out comfortably in whatever surroundings suit you best.
Find someone
Sometimes people struggle to find someone to take up a new activity with them and that stops them from taking it further so if that is the case for you or someone you know – the next best thing is to find someone who will either agree to meet you at the start of an activity even if they don’t join in or who will phone, text, email or in some way contact you when you are due to set off to check you are doing what you have agreed to do. It is harder to back out of something when you have shared what you plan to do and someone is monitoring you!
Write it down
Make this fun – get a few pictures of what you are aspiring to be and use present tense words about what you are going to do.
"I am fit and do Nordic walking 3 times a week for 30 minutes"
Develop the picture in your head that you have shared with others. Place the pictures/words that you have created somewhere you can see them regularly to remind yourself. Behind a wardrobe door if you are shy or in an obvious place for all to see if you are not. See yourself doing what you want to be is a big step towards it becoming a reality. Using the present tense encourages your mind to see this as a reality – using the future tense postpones the action. Good luck.
Fran Loots
http://www.breathingspaceoutdoors.com
