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Having trouble staying motivated to exercise as the COVID-19 pandemic drags on? Experts say that's understandable and that you're not alone.
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In fact, about 32 percent of Americans say they're exercising less than they were before the coronavirus crisis began, according to a September survey conducted by the University of Southern California's Center for the Digital Future.
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Concerns about COVID-19 have forced many older Americans to sideline their usual fitness routines, whether they involve going to the gym, taking a group class or walking with friends. For some, working out at home is starting to lose its appeal. And the onset of cooler weather will make exercising outside more difficult.
Any drop-off in fitness is especially concerning for older adults, who are at higher risk of complications from COVID-19. Research shows that physical activity is a powerful way to strengthen your immune system and an important tool to relieve stress. In one study people who exercised at least five days a week got over a cold nearly twice as quickly as those who were more sedentary.
"Exercise is so important during this time, perhaps more than any other time,” says Marilyn Moffat, a physical therapist and geriatric clinical specialist at New York University and coauthor of Age-Defying Fitness.
AARP asked Moffat and other experts to share their favorite strategies for jump-starting workout motivation.
Establish a new post-coronavirus routine
Staying motivated is always easier when you have a routine, says Corinna Loeckenhoff, director of the Healthy Aging Laboratory at Cornell University. “But during the pandemic, all of our routines have been thrown up in the air. People feel so drained because nothing is routine.”
Loeckenhoff recommends starting with the basics and building from there. Get back to a specific wake time and bedtime, and have set meal times. From there, pencil in daily physical activity, with the goal of starting a fitness routine.
"You're more likely to do exercise when it's integrated into your everyday life, so you don't have to think about it,” she says. “People think about exercise as a question of willpower, but it's much more about building it up [to] a routine. It works best if it's on autopilot."
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