Five Keys to Exercise Motivation
Finding it hard to stick to your workout plan? I know just where you're coming from. There are times when I'd rather do almost anything than work out. But there are a few tricks that we can use to help keep us honest where our commitment to fitness is concerned. There are no hard and fast rules here. These are tips to help keep you motivated and working toward your specific fitness goals. Use those that fit into your overall fitness plan. 1. Set Fitness Goals That Fire You Up! No, we're not talking about spontaneous combustion here. We are talking about strong emotion. We need to make our fitness goals as emotional in nature as possible. Why? Because nothing tends to stir us to action so quickly as our strongest emotions. Don't believe me? Okay. I'll prove it. Read the two following fitness goals. One is based on logic. One is based on pure emotion. Which one would motivate you more to stay true to your workout schedule? Be honest!
2. Don't Bite Off More Than You Can Chew 
Ever wonder why that cool 90 min. daily workout plan you tried--the one all of the best-looking celebs are raving about--never really worked out? Maybe it's because you bit off more than you could chew at the start. If you're new to exercise, start with 15-20 min. of walking daily at a brisk pace. Then every two weeks, add 5 minutes to your daily routine. Do this, and in just eight weeks, you'll be getting in 35 to 40 minutes of aerobic exercise per day. Next, you can add 20 min. of strength training twice per week to your plan. And so on. Remember, when designing a practical workout plan for yourself, the tortoise wins the race every time!
None of us is perfect, right? So even with the best of intentions, we sometimes fall short of our own expectations. If this happens to you, instead of demoralizing yourself for your apparent "lack of motivation", determine to focus your energies instead on picking yourself up and keeping right on with your plan. No need to start all over. Just start again, right from where you are. This is important. Many times we feel tempted to give up when we fail. But if we refuse to quit and determine that we will reach our fitness goals, inevitably we will.
Let's face it. As people, we love being rewarded for a job well done. But who says that we have to wait until the job is completely done to reward ourselves! Let's say you've chosen a goal of losing 20 pounds and ten total inches. You've been on your plan for 5 weeks and you've lost a total of 4 1/2 pounds and 1/4 inches. Why not reward yourself with that new bestseller that your best friend keeps babbling about? Or send yourself a dozen red roses with a card that simply says "Congratulations on a job well done!" Such rewards are likely to spur you on to greater successes.
One of the greatest keys to developing a consistent workout regimen is to base your plan on physical activities that you truly enjoy. This takes the drudgery out of exercise and fills it with passion and fun instead. Love running? Then go for it. But maybe you'd prefer taking a class in hip hop aerobics or in-line skating instead. And you needn't travel far or break the bank. Most local community colleges and neighborhood rec centers offer a choice of adult fitness classes from Tae bo to tai chi, for far less than you'd pay at a local health club. So there you have it. Five keys to help keep you motivated and working out consistently. Put them to practice and you'll not only begin reaching your fitness goals, but you'll have a lot more fun doing so.
|
Okay. Most of us if we're honest will admit that we don't always get up in the morning feeling giddy about working out.