| A teenage girl is participating in a weight loss camp. As | | | | For some, it manifests itself as not being able to be |
| she is doing relay races she begins to experience fear | | | | consistent with physical activity or not starting at all. It |
| and stops exercising, breaking down in tears. The | | | | can also show up in a more serious way with feelings |
| coach encourages her to keep going. It is the only way | | | | of fear and panic attacks similar to what happened to |
| to break through and get the weight loss results she | | | | the young girl in the television show. If you are |
| desires. This fear grows into a full blown panic attack. | | | | beginning to recognize some exercise resistance |
| This is a true story of what happened on the popular | | | | patterns in your own life or see it in your children, there |
| reality television show. What the coaches didn't realize | | | | are some helpful strategies to overcome this issue. |
| is this young girl has a very real condition called | | | | 1. Explore the history of what may have created this |
| exercise resistance. | | | | block. What feelings come up for you when you think |
| Exercise resistance was first coined in 1996 by | | | | about exercise? When did this begin? Early childhood, |
| Registered Dietitian and Exercise Physiologist, Francie | | | | teen years? |
| White. Francie defines it as a conscious or | | | | 2. Think about any movement that was once fun and |
| unconscious block against becoming regularly active. | | | | had nothing to do with formalized exercise or sports. |
| This block leads to an inactive lifestyle for both children | | | | Did you enjoy riding your bike as a kid? Running as |
| and adults. Is this just plain laziness or is there | | | | fast as you can? Dancing? Swimming? Exploring new |
| something more to it? | | | | places while walking? This will help you to devise an |
| Working in the health field I can assure you it is very | | | | activity that you connect to as being enjoyable and not |
| real. Many people struggle with this condition usually | | | | emotionally painful. |
| resulting from past embarrassment or shame around | | | | 3. Avoid starting an exercise program because you |
| physical activity. For example, the kids who are always | | | | have to. Internalize your reasons for activity so that |
| picked last for the team, being teased for not being a | | | | you want to do it because you enjoy it. We often |
| good player, or perhaps embarrassment among young | | | | become resistant to anything we have to do in life. We |
| girls in the locker room if they matured earlier than | | | | look forward to things we want to do. |
| others. When we experience emotional pain from | | | | 4. If you have a child who is overweight you can help |
| something consistently, especially starting at a young | | | | them now. Introduce enjoyable movement without |
| age, we will avoid it at all cost. | | | | formalized sports or exercise programs. Go for walks, |
| It is also common to see this condition with dieters. | | | | hike, ride bikes, canoing, skiing...make it fun activities with |
| When strict exercise regimes are prescribed people | | | | no emphasis on burning calories or exercise. Putting |
| can become resistant when they don't enjoy it. This | | | | the focus on weight loss and calorie burning is a sure |
| type of exercise becomes something they have to do | | | | fire way to make a child become resistant. Focus on |
| to get the desired result, instead of being something | | | | movement as fun. |
| that is enjoyable. In some cases the child who was | | | | 5. For children who struggle with team sports, get them |
| picked on for not being good at sports grows up and | | | | involved in some solo activities that they can excel at |
| begins dieting as an adult. This just reinforces the | | | | such as bike riding, skiing, rock climbing, or even hiking. |
| negative experience even more! Soon it is hard to | | | | They will get positive reinforcement around these |
| imagine any sort of physical activity as being | | | | activities that will help them build their confidence with |
| enjoyable. In my line of work I have seen staggering | | | | team sports. |
| amounts of people who fall into this category. | | | | |