I’ve just finished a short session on my rebounder and I’m feeling refreshed and invigorated. I enjoy being able to work out without the need to leave home, wear special clothing or fit in with someone else’s schedule. It’s a gentle form of exercise that doesn’t overtax my muscles and joints but still provides good aerobic benefits.
I almost missed out on this valuable resource because the first time I tried one it gave me an almighty migraine headache, so I wrote it off as an unsuitable way for me to exercise. For years I believed this and put it out of my mind as being at all useful. Then I read an article that mentioned the number and placement of springs and the quality of the mat as being important in how efficiently a rebounder worked. When I saw a second-hand brand-name model for sale I thought I’d give it another go. The results were vastly different from the first time round and I realised that I had found a method of exercise which would work for me.
I still had to overcome one barrier though, and that was that it wasn’t a part of my regular routine yet. As long as it sat in the garage it was too much of an effort to remember it and drag it into the house. Placing it beside the bed in the spare room made it more accessible and it became more likely that I would use it. The last hurdle to surmount was boredom, and I tackled that one by putting on a CD of catchy music with a regular beat that encouraged me to keep up a good pace. Being able to sing along to the CD also made it less of a chore and more fun.
I found I could apply the lessons I learnt through this to any type of activity that might improve my life:
- don’t give up if something new doesn’t work; you might just need more information or a different method that suits you better
- always be alert to opportunities to grow
- a new way of thinking or acting won’t make a difference if you don’t practice it regularly; make a commitment
- take actions which make it easier to remember the new habit you want to develop
- self-development shouldn’t be a chore; find a way of making it enjoyable
What self-development projects could you look at in a new way?
How can you best support your commitment to develop healthy habits of thought and action?
