HY 05/07: Find Your Perfect Exercise | Lehigh Valley Hospital

Have you ever gone to an exercise class and thought to yourself, “This just isn’t me?” It’s happened to all of us, and it could explain why so many people can’t stick to an exercise program. Yes, you need to take fitness seriously and include all the components (cardiovascular, strength and flexibility)—but it’s also important to find an activity that suits your personality and lifestyle.

Each of us is different, and what works to motivate you and keep you active may be just the opposite of what works for your best friend, says family medicine physician Joseph Habig, M.D., of Lehigh Valley Hospital and Health Network. “The key is finding something you enjoy,” he says. “Maybe it’s what you loved doing as a kid, such as jumping rope, riding a bike or swimming.”

Below, you’ll find a personality mini-test. Pick your type(s) and get some ideas that could transform your relationship with exercise. (If you’ve been sedentary, just remember to get your doctor’s OK before starting a vigorous exercise program.) Our suggestions are from Habig and his colleagues, exercise physiologists Jackie Svrcek and Eric Witzel.

Do you yearn for the great outdoors?

Are you on a tight budget?

Could you watch TV all day?

Do you need direction when you exercise?

Do you do everything with your friends?

Are you more of a loner?

Do you need peace and quiet?

Do you love hanging out with your children or grandchildren?

Do you live to compete?

Are you ultra-busy?

Jonathan Davidson

Midday walking balances his extra-busy life

After being diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, 24-year-old Jonathan Davidson knew exercise would help keep his blood sugar under control. But a busy after-work schedule made it hard for the Allentown man to find time for regular physical activity. “I knew I needed a workout that would fit into my hectic lifestyle,” he says. “That’s when I decided to exercise at lunchtime.”

Now, when weather permits, Davidson eats at his desk and heads out to walk on a bike path near his office for the rest of his lunch break. “The walk takes me to the Lil’ Lehigh Trout Nursery,” he says. “I walk around the ponds and occasionally feed the fish. It’s relaxing and convenient, so I know I’ll stick with it.”

Mary Zwarych

Cardio kickboxing brings her focus and friendship

During the summer, Mary Zwarych would walk early in the morning before the heat got too intense. In winter, however, the 44-year-old Allentown woman was in a quandary. “I don’t enjoy wintertime walking, but I needed to stay active,” she says. Then she saw a cardio-kickboxing class in Healthy You and decided to give it a whirl. “I was hooked from the first class,” she says—so hooked, in fact, that she now attends classes year-round.

Cardio kickboxing offers Zwarych more than a great workout; it keeps her socially connected. “I work with people all day, but I need to laugh and have fun when I exercise, too. It’s important for my mental health,” she says. Exercise also clears her head. “As a financial advisor, I have other people’s concerns on my mind all day. Kickboxing class focuses me so work thoughts can’t intrude.”

Find Your Perfect Exercise

If you enjoy it, you’ll have more motivation to move