Step 1 in the I-SSEE self-coaching method is “Identify”:
1.Identify your overall goals:
What are your longterm goals with respect to physical activity?
2. Identify what might make you reluctant to change:
- Perhaps you felt awkward as a kid in PE class and worry that people will make fun of you if you take up a fitness activity.
- Perhaps you can’t really think of anything you like to do that involves movement.
- Maybe you just can’t see how you could make time.
- Or the only way you can see to make time for movement will require that you give up some of your downtime on the couch.
3.Identify your most powerful motivations:
Which benefits that you could receive from increased physical activity are most motivating to you?
What other motivations do you have for increasing physical activity?
- Opening new opportunities for engagement with friends? Partner? Children? Grandchildren?
- Being a good role model for children, grandchildren, or others?
- Opening new opportunities for adding some fun to your life?
- New opportunities for work or improved performance at work?
- What others can you think of?
4. Identify your strengths and resources:
Identify your personal strengths: Could you use your strength as a social butterful to draw friends into exercising together? Could you use a personal strength of being comfortable being alone to get you started on some solo activities? Do you have a history of enjoying some types of physical activities? Are you competitive? etc.
Identify resources: Do you have a family member or friend (or more than one) who can be an exercise buddy? Is your neighborhood safe to walk in? Is there a nearby greenspace or park? Does your community offer free or low cost exercise options? Hint: pretend you are going on vacation in your town and use a search engine to look up “Things to do in ___your area____” You might find some resources you never knew were there.
5.Identify your readiness to change:
On a scale of 0-5 where 0 is “No way” and 5 is “Totally ready to go!”
- How ready are you to at least start to think about increasing your level of physical activity?
- How ready are you to take a baby step or two toward increasing your level of physical activity?
- How ready are you to make at least one significant change in your level of physical activity?
You are not stuck with your current level of readiness. You can nudge yourself forward.
- Let’s say you’ve given yourself a 5 for willingness to think about changing .You can begin to expand your “thinking about changing” by exploring different types of exercise you might be interested in: read articles, watch videos online, listen to TED talks or podcasts, flip through a magazine oriented toward exercise while you’re waiting for a prescription or standing in line at the grocery store. Immerse yourself in thinking about your goal. This in itself will be a step toward change.
- Perhaps you’ve already been thinking about changing, but you gave yourself a “3” for your readiness to take some baby steps. You can ask yourself, “What would it take for me to feel like I was at a 4?”
6. Identify your current level of activity:
1.Do you spend most of your day sitting with little movement? Go to next steps for this level of activity.
2.Do you do some physical activity that is 1) aerobic exercise + some that is 2) muscle-strengthening exercise but not as much as recommended by the guidelines in either category? (Less than 150 minutes of aerobic activity and less than twice a week of muscle-strengthening activity? Go to next steps for this level of activity.
3.Do you meet the guidelines for aerobic activity (at least 150 minutes a week) but do muscle-strengthening exercise less than 2x week? Go to next steps for this level of activity.
4. Do you meet the guidelines for muscle-strengthening exercise at least 2x per week, but do less than 150 min. of aerobic activities ? Go to next steps for this level of activity.
5: Do you meet the guidelines for both aerobic and muscle strengthening activity (at least 150 minutes of aerobic activity a week and muscle-strengthening exercise at least 2x week) but want to do more? Go to next steps for this level of activity.
