Have you been thinking about starting an exercise program? Are you ready to start right now? Or are you not interested at all? There are many stages that one goes through in making the decision to change something in his/her life. This applies to just about anything: starting to exercise, losing weight, quitting smoking, decreasing alcohol or drug use, etc. In this article we will explore the various states of change, decide which stage you are at, and suggest some strategies to move you to the next stage so that you are committed to starting an exercise program.

There are 6 stages of change:

1. Pre-contemplation
2. Contemplation
3. Preparation
4. Action
5. Maintenance
6. Relapse

1. Pre-contemplation

This is the first stage of change. During this stage, you are not considering a change. The fact that you are reading this article means that fortunately you are likely beyond this stage. If you are in this stage, you probably do not see the benefits of exercising and likely do not understand the harmful effects of not exercising.

Questions to ask yourself in this stage:

• Do you believe that your lack of activity is a problem?
• What would have to happen for you to consider your inactivity a problem?

2. Contemplation

This is the second stage of change. If you are in this stage, you are more aware of the potential benefits of exercise, but the costs (both financial and others) tend to stand out even more in your mind. Therefore, you are likely ambivalent about getting active. This stage can last for a long time – up to months or years. Unfortunately, sometimes it can last forever, particularly if you believe that the costs of making the change far outweigh the benefits.

Questions to ask yourself in this stage:

• Why do you want to become more active?
• What is preventing you from becoming more active?
• What are some things that could help you make this change?

3. Preparation

During the preparation stage, you will begin to make small changes to prepare yourself for becoming more active. For example, you might switch to lower-fat foods if your goal is to lose weight. You may do a few push-ups each day if you want to start an exercise routine.

Steps to take in this stage:

• Gather information about ways to change your behavior.
• Prepare a list of personal motivating statements – what is your reason for starting to exercise?
• Write down your goal – what do you want to achieve? Be as specific as possible.

4. Action

This is where the action really happens! During this stage, you take direct actions to start an exercise program. For example, you may buy a home DVD fitness program or you may start going for daily runs. To increase your chances of success make sure you have gone through the previous steps.

Steps to take in this stage:

• Congratulate and reward yourself for positive steps.
• Seek positive reinforcement and support.
• Periodically review your motivation, resources, and progress to refresh your commitment and belief in your abilities.

5. Maintenance

In this stage you are successfully maintaining your current exercise routine. You are regularly exercising and seeing all the positive benefits of doing so. The longer you are in this stage, the more confident you become that you will be able to continue your new and improved activity and fitness level.

Steps to take in this stage:

• Avoid temptations to regress back to your old behaviors.
• Replace unhealthy old habits with more positive actions.
• Reward yourself when you successfully avoid a relapse.

6. Relapse

Unfortunately, in any new behavior change, relapses are common. When you go through this stage (i.e. a relapse to inactivity) it is common to experience feelings of failure, disappointment, and frustration. There are effective ways to put this behind you and get back to your exercise routine.

Steps to take in this stage:

• Do not beat yourself up.
• Examine why the relapse occurred. What triggered it?
• Determine what you can do to avoid this in the future.
• Start again with the preparation, action, or maintenance stages.
• Reaffirm your motivation, plan of action, and commitment to your goals.

Now is the time to decide which stage of change you are at and commit to taking the proper action steps to get to the next stage. By challenging yourself to take the appropriate steps to advance to the next level, you will find the motivation to get active, fit, and healthy. I wish you all the best in health!