You’ve decided to start an exercise program. I don’t have to tell you about all its wonderful benefits. Of course, it’s best to have a buddy to help harass, er rather motivate you. But what if you’re on your own? Or what if your buddy isn’t around? How do you keep motivated?
Here’s 5 simple ways to keep going.
1. Buy New Shoes or Clothes If you’re like me you hate to waste money on things you don’t use. Buy something that you can keep near by as a visual reminder. True, some days you might exercise only to relieve your guilt, but it may be just the trick to keep you going in the beginning.
2. Set a Regular Time Bad Habits are hard to break, so are good ones. Make exercise a habit. If you set a regular time to work out, you won’t have to think about it. Also, you’ll have fewer conflicts, because others will learn to work with your schedule.
3. Find Immediate Benefits Everyone knows that exercise has long term benefits like a healthier heart, lower cholesterol and more stamina. But what about the immediate benefits that you can enjoy right away? Start with lower stress. Try a workout at noon and you’ll come back refreshed and able to face the rest of your day. And, you can eat more. Think of exercise as making deposits in a calorie bank that you can spend any way you want, say on a second helping at dinner or on a desert. Now there’s motivation.
4. Increase Creative Problem Solving Exercise class can be fun, but if you exercise alone, you have a great opportunity to focus your mind, energized with endorphins and increased blood flow, to work out those nagging problems at work or home. Think of it as moving meditation. You’ll soon find a wealth of creative solutions effortlessly popping into your mind.
5. Commit to a Future Event Try committing to a future event such as a race, for example. Nothing motivates like a deadline. I signed up for a summer bike vacation and you can bet I got out and rode my bike more often and trained harder than I otherwise might have.
The only difference between people who stay with an exercise program and those who don’t is the motivation to keep at it until it becomes a habit. Use these 5 ways to be one of those who make a lifetime commitment to improved health and fitness.