5. Take the Exercise Quiz
Are you exercising enough? Are you
exercising too much? Are you doing the right kind of exercise to relieve
your stress? Take the following quiz to determine if your exercise
routine is the right prescription for you:
1. Which of the following best describes your opinion about exercise?
A. Love it, love it, love it! Couldn’t go without it!
B. Sometimes it’s fun, and sometimes it’s tolerable, depending on my mood.
C. It’s a necessary evil.
D. It’s something other people do.
2. After exercise, how do you typically feel?
A. Exhausted but satisfied
B. Cranky and irritable
C. Euphoric
D. Relieved that it’s over
3. How often do you exercise each week?
A. One or fewer times per week
B. Two or three times a week for fifteen to thirty minutes
C. Daily for an hour or more
D. On most days for thirty to sixty minutes
4. If you are unable to do your regular exercise routine, how do you feel?
A. I feel panicked.
B. I feel like I’ve been let off the hook.
C. Inconvenienced, but I’ll make up for it later.
D. What regular exercise routine?
5. Which of the following is most likely to keep you from exercising?
A. Nothing
B. Boredom with the exercise routine
C. Stress
D. Lack of energy and motivation
6. Calculate Your Score
Give yourself points according to the following:
1. A: 1, B: 2, C: 3, D: 4
2. A: 2, B: 4, C: 1, D: 3
3. A: 4, B: 3, C: 1, D: 2
4. A: 1, B: 3, C: 2, D: 4
5. A: 1, B: 3, C: 2, D: 4
7. Between 5 and 8 Points
If you scored between 5 and 8 points,
you are super-motivated to exercise, and that’s great . . . unless it
has gone too far. If your exercise routine is controlling you rather
than the other way around, it’s time to ease off a bit and seek balance
by developing other areas of your life that promote health. For example,
you could concentrate on eating a nutritious diet, drinking plenty of
water, getting sufficient sleep, and enjoying spiritual renewal such as
meditation and relaxation.
8. Between 9 and 12 Points
If you scored
between 9 and 12 points, you have probably established exercise as an
integral part of your routine and you are already reaping the benefits.
Just remember to stay flexible, vary your routine, and stay balanced in
the other areas of your life, too. When stress does interfere with your
regular routine, don’t be afraid to do something easier and more
relaxing for exercise, such as take a slower walk or do an easy yoga
routine.
9. Between 13 and 16 Points
If you scored
between 13 and 16 points, you know exercise is good for you and manage
most of the time, but you aren’t always happy about it. You may need to
try another form of exercise to keep yourself motivated. Consider your
likes and dislikes and try to match them with something that will get
you moving, like a cool new exercise machine at the gym or a hike in the
wilderness.
10. Between 17 and 20 Points
If you scored between 17 and 20
points, you just don’t like exercise, or you just can’t find the time to
fit it in. Whether you are worried that you won’t know how to exercise
the right way or burned out from too much stress and a too-hectic
lifestyle, you are letting the most effective stress relieving technique
out there pass you by. Don’t be afraid to start slow and build up to a
more moderate exercise routine at a comfortable pace.
