When you assess people who say they suddenly made a big change, you find they d been thinking about it for a long time. That s a concept our nation s exercise experts have yet to grasp. By relying on slogans designed to jolt people into immediate action, the health and fitness community from physicians to personal trainers to makers of running shoes is essentially asking us to go cold turkey on our indolent lifestyle. Proof is emerging that Prochaska s message works for anyone. James Sallis, an exercise psychologist at San Diego State University, and colleagues have designed a system doctors can use to determine a patient s stage.
Doctors then give the advice tailored specifically to a person s mind-set.
For those who doubt they need to exercise, pamphlets that explain the benefits in detail are available. If a patient knows she should work out but can t seem to get motivated, the physician helps her choose a specific workout and pick a start date. Alvarez isn t alone in citing time as her major obstacle. Often they just haven t considered what an excellent use of time exercise is, he says. The payoff of heart protection is great, but there are at least 50 other benefits to regular activity.