Planning Exercise Without Losing Motivation
Easily one of the hardest things about losing weight is finding the motivation to exercise. After all, after so long of not doing it, introducing it into your day to day routine can often feel daunting… You begin to wonder - where can you fit it in? You’ve never had time to exercise before, so how can you find the time now? It is easier than you think… In fact, once you begin incorporating exercise into your day to day routine, finding the motivation will no longer be a problem. However, if you are reading this article, worried you’ll give up again after a few weeks, then we have got a few tips you can use to ensure you stay motivated.
TOP TIPS FOR STAYING MOTIVATED
- Pick a set time of day – whether you choose to exercise first thing in the morning before you go to work (or your children wake up); during your lunch break or after work, pick a time to exercise and keep to it.When exercise feels randomised, it is easy to find an excuse to leave it until another day. However, if you know that 12pm spells a 40 minute walk, then you’ll naturally get ready to exercise.To keep your motivation up, aim to do the following:- Exercise before you go to work – this will set you up for the day and leave you feeling surprisingly energised. Plus by exercising first thing, you don’t have to worry about fitting in. Instead you have already got your daily exercise out of the way. - Go for a walk on your lunch break – walking burns more calories than you think, so get yourself away from the desk and take a walk to the local shop. - Exercise before you go back home – go to the gym, for a swim or a bike ride before you go home. Once you are home, you’ll be reluctant to go back out again.
- Create a pros and cons list – whether you want to lose weight for your health, a special occasion or to improve your self esteem, make a pros and cons list for why you want to lose weight and keep it in your pocket. This list will prove very helpful whenever you feel like giving up as it will remind you of your goals.
- Exercise with a friend –exercising can often be a lonely business, so try getting a friend to join a class with you. This will make it fun, plus your friend can supply you with the support and the encouragement to keep exercising.Alternatively why not get your family involved and arrange to go for a swim, a hike or a family bike ride. Together you can take the steps to a healthier lifestyle and have fun whilst you are exercising.
- Mix it up – attending the same aerobics class can get boring, so you may find your motivational levels dipping. For this reason, try to mix up your workouts so you are doing something different every couple of days. For example, go for a jog one day, a swim the other and to a cardio class at the weekend. Similarly keep your workouts varied, so one week you focus on your stomach, the next your thighs and the week after your arms.
- Pump it up – have you ever been on a piece of equipment and spent the entire time counting down to when you can get off? Clock counting whilst exercising can prove very un-motivating. For this reason, try making up a music playlist to listen to as you workout. This will help you to get into the zone faster, plus will help the time to fly by.
Exercising doesn’t have to feel like a chore, nor does it have to become an obstacle between you becoming the person you want to be. Simply aim to keep your motivational levels high and in no time you’ll begin witnessing the positive affects of regular exercise – a healthier, slimmer you. So give the above tips a try and stay positive. Your continuing weight loss will soon become all the motivation you need…
