University Teaching Trust
Maintaining
Your
Exercise
Programme
© G16070704W. Design Services, Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust,
All Rights Reserved 2016. Document for issue as handout.
Unique Identifier: NOE 35 (16). Review date: October 2018.
This section describes the stages people go through when they are trying to
follow a regular exercise routine and what makes the difference between
those who manage to keep it up and those who give up after a while. Most
importantly this section will tell you how to turn these factors to your advantage
so that you can continue to motivate yourself.
Before reading on, look at the diagram below. What stage are you at? If you
are still trying to decide whether or not you want to (or can) exercise or you are
in the process of preparing - you should refer to the earlier section on “Getting
Started with Exercise”.
Not considering taking up exercise
Thinking about it
Preparing
Exercising regularly
Keeping going
If you are still reading then you are probably already exercising. Regular exercise
is often a major change in lifestyle for people with chronic pain. You may have
gone from not even considering exercising (perhaps because you thought it
would be harmful) to your present level. Not many people, including those who
don’t have a pain problem, make it this far. You can be proud of what you have
achieved. You already have a lot of what it takes to keep going. Now consider
how to keep yourself motivated.
© G16070704W. Design Services, Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust,
All Rights Reserved 2016. Document for issue as handout.
Unique Identifier: NOE 35 (16). Review date: October 2018.
1
The risk of relapse
At any of the stages of making changes in your lifestyle you are at risk of lapsing
back into old habits. This not only applies to keeping going with regular exercise
but also to stopping smoking or dieting to lose weight. We’ve all heard of the
person trying to lose weight who breaks their diet on occasion or even stops
dieting altogether. The longer you continue to exercise the less likely you are to
relapse. However, the fact that you have been exercising for several months does
not guarantee you will not go back to your old ways. After all, a third of people
who have managed to stop smoking for a year relapse !
What this means in practise is :
● You are likely to experience setbacks.
● You will need to work at your motivation.
The first thing you can do to improve your chances of keeping going is to
understand a little more about why some people keep going (often in spite of
relapses) and others relapse and give up.
© G16070704W. Design Services, Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust,
All Rights Reserved 2016. Document for issue as handout.
Unique Identifier: NOE 35 (16). Review date: October 2018.
2
10 Factors that improve your chances of keeping going
Getting the right support
Family members and friends who are supportive (without taking control) can
make a big difference especially on the bad days.
Being confident in your ability to exercise
People struggle to start exercising often due to lack of confidence in themselves.
Those who develop their confidence are more likely to take up and maintain
exercise. In doing so, they boost their confidence even further.
Believing that exercise will be beneficial
If you believe that exercise may not be of any long term benefit this will
undermine your efforts to continue. However, if you are convinced that exercise
will have good effects you’ll tend to stick at it. The benefits people anticipate
include getting more control over pain, improving their ability to do daily
activities and reducing the risks of other health problems.
Having past experience of exercising
If you used to exercise regularly in the past you will find it easier to get back
into a regular exercise routine. It may be partly due to existing confidence in
your abilities or the support of friends and family.
Getting control over potential obstacles
A common reason for not exercising is lack of time. There are many obstacles
that prevent us sticking to our good intentions. Those who believe they can
gain control over these obstacles are more likely to maintain exercise. This
includes control over the various other commitments such as looking after
children, work, household chores and symptoms like pain and fatigue. If you
feel helpless to control these other factors you’ll find it hard to keep up with
exercise.
© G16070704W. Design Services, Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust,
All Rights Reserved 2016. Document for issue as handout.
Unique Identifier: NOE 35 (16). Review date: October 2018.
3
Exercising for the right reasons
Exercising because others say you should (including physiotherapists) may
help you get started. Feeling guilty or a failure if you skip exercises helps in a
similar way. However, these things tend not to work in the long run. After all,
exercising is ultimately your choice. People who make their exercise sessions
enjoyable and satisfying are more likely to keep it up.
Having strategies for anticipating and preventing relapse
You can expect to have bad days and flare-ups. Many other things can also
interrupt your progress. Anticipating potential relapses and taking measures to
prevent them will help you stay in control.
Making plans for recovery following relapse
Refusing to panic or catastrophise is important. Setting a plan for recovery which
outlines how to start exercising again helps you get back in control of your pain
more quickly.
Using incentives and rewards
Setting targets that require a good level of fitness can motivate many people especially those that don’t find exercise pleasurable. The goal of being able to
play a round of golf is enough to spur some people on when they don’t feel like
exercising. For others it’s the prospect of a holiday where they would like to be
able to walk long distances in comfort. Whatever their goal it helps keep them
going. It is important to reward yourself with a treat if you have managed to
keep up with your exercises. Without incentives or rewards some people struggle
to maintain exercise.
Monitoring your exercise sessions
People who keep a regular account of their exercise stick to their plans better
than those who don’t record what they are doing and how often they do it.
Practical Considerations
Other things to take into account when looking to maintain exercise include
cost, access to facilities, and convenience. Exercises that are done at home
requiring little equipment can be highly effective. This approach is used by
physiotherapists at the Pain Centre.
© G16070704W. Design Services, Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust,
All Rights Reserved 2016. Document for issue as handout.
Unique Identifier: NOE 35 (16). Review date: October 2018.
4
Tips for keeping up with exercises
You need to be working on the following eight areas :
1
Know Your Exercises
You should aim to know the following :
● How often you should be exercising to get the most benefits
● What the difference is between stretching and strengthening exercise
● How to do each exercise in your plan correctly without supervision
● How to progress your exercises
If you are not sure about any of the above points, go back through your
notes. If it’s still not clear, ask the physiotherapist to go through it with you
2
3
Set yourself exercise targets each week
They can be general e.g. “Exercise three times this week” or more specific
like “work up to 15 repetitions of each exercise by the end of the week”.
Record what you have done each week
Write down when you do your exercises and how long the exercise
session lasted for. You may also want to keep a record of the number of
repetitions of each exercise or weight used. Below is an example of a form
you can use to monitor your exercise. Alternatively, you can design your
own. Complete it at the end of each session or at the end of the week.
An example of a simple record sheet
Week beginning : Monday April 3rd
Day
Exercises Done
Total Time Spent
Monday
All stretches (hold for 15)
20 minutes
Tuesday
All stretching exercises (hold for 15) &
strengthening exercises
35 minutes
Wednesday
All stretches (hold for 15)
20 minutes
Thursday
All stretches (hold for 15) & strengthening exercises
45 minutes
Friday
All stretches (hold for 15)
25 minutes
Saturday
Day off !!
Sunday
9th April
All stretches (hold for 15)
Brisk walk (to corner shop and back)
If you want an added incentive send these completed forms to the
physiotherapist at the end of the month.
© G16070704W. Design Services, Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust,
All Rights Reserved 2016. Document for issue as handout.
Unique Identifier: NOE 35 (16). Review date: October 2018.
5
40 minutes
4
Give yourself something to aim for - set SMART goals
Set SMART activity related goals - a family activity, hobby, social activity or
event or a work-related issue. Use this as an incentive to keep working at
your fitness. Pin it up on your wall.
5
Reward yourself for sticking to your plan
Treat yourself - if you have managed to stick to your exercise plan you
deserve it. Use rewards after an exercise session, at the end of the week
or even at the end of the month. If you haven’t done what you said you
would do, you don’t get the reward !
6
Make your exercise enjoyable
Find a friend or family member who is willing to join in and make exercise
more fun. Put your favourite music on while you exercise. Consider joining
an exercise class - it’s often easier to stay motivated in a group.
If you’re not sure about joining an exercise class ask the physiotherapist.
7
Have a written plan for managing a flare-up
Make yourself an Emergency Card for what to do during a flare-up. This
will include a plan for getting back to exercise to help your recovery. You
may have to remind yourself of the reason for exercising which helped to
get you started in the first place.
8
Prevent relapses by working on other pain management skills
Practising relaxation, challenging negative thoughts, pacing activity, and
using problem-solving skills will all help prevent relapse and keep you in
control.
© G16070704W. Design Services, Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust,
All Rights Reserved 2016. Document for issue as handout.
Unique Identifier: NOE 35 (16). Review date: October 2018.
6
© G16070704W. Design Services
Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust
All Rights Reserved 2016
This document MUST NOT be photocopied
University Teaching Trust
Information Leaflet Control Policy:
Unique Identifier: NOE 35 (16)
Review Date: October 2018
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treatment / service.
Email: [email protected]
Salford Royal operates a smoke-free policy.
For advice on stopping smoking contact the Hospital Specialist Stop Smoking Service
on 0161 206 1779
Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust
Stott Lane, Salford,
Manchester,
M6 8HD
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