Need Motivation to Exercise?
We all need motivation to exercise from time to time and here are some tips to try to get those muscles moving!
- Join a local sports team. Sometimes having to meet others and keep a commitment to playing on the team will make sure you get your workout!
- Sign up for a walk/run. There are lots of good causes that host walk/runs or races to raise funds for their organization. Find one that stirs your heart and challenge yourself!
- Start training to run 5k. This is a 2 1/2 mile race that is a lot like the walk/run or relays that are hosted by organizations. You get to get out and meet new people and exercise in a different environment.
- Make it a family thing. Go bike riding or walking a trail in your community or local park. You get to spend time with your spouse and kids and get your exercise!
- Try changing your mindset about exercising with subliminal messages. No joke, this has worked for me!
Basically, you listen to the CD or mp3 recording while you are resting, working out or as background music. Messages such as "I love to work out" and "I am meeting all of my fitness goals every day" are set to ocean or nature sounds.
You can't hear the messages audibly, but they are set at such a frequency that your subconscious can internalize them.
- Keep a journal. It is a proven fact that writing a goal down will help you massively when it comes to reaching it.
Also, it helps to be able to look back and see your progress and how far you have come. Seeing your progress can be a great motivation to exercise.
- Set realistic goals - especially if you are starting out. Don't be so hard on yourself, angry when you are sore from running a mile non-stop the first day you start your fitness plan.
Take it easy and follow a fitness plan - you will be more likely to gain strength faster and avoid injuries.
- Measure yourself. Whether you measure inches, body fat, body composition, how much you weigh on a scale, or how much you can bench press or squat, it helps you to see that you are making progress.
When you see those numbers go down if you are trying to lose weight or the numbers go up if you are trying to build muscle, measuring makes it easier to track.
- Take photos of yourself in a bathing suit. This can be a scary experience, believe me, and it can serve as some real motivation to exercise. Having to look at the flab in a little bikini can be intimidating.
But working out for a week and taking a photo and seeing even a little minute change is encouraging and motivating. Then you look forward to the next photo and the next!
One day you compare your present photo with the first and are AMAZED!
- Keep an online fitness journal like on bodybuilding.com or Fitness Pal. You get to be a part of an online community and have access to forums where you can ask questions.
- Join local fitness group. You can find them on Meetup, through a local gym or community recreation department. If you can't find one, start one. Pass out flyers and put an ad in the local paper for a walking, running or cycling group.
- Hire a personal fitness trainer. A monetary investment will most likely make you keep your appointments and reach your fitness goals. A good trainer will schedule your workouts and expect you to meet with him or her to complete all of them.
- Don't get injured! Injuries set us back. Properly warm up and stretch and don't try to overdo it.
- Don't stop working out when you come back from being ill. Ease back into your routine, eat well, rest and drink lots of fluids.
- Don't compare yourself to others - this was hard for me; I wanted to be fat-less and for my boobs not to sag! I had to learn to love my body and embrace its power, strength and sexiness!
- Find something you like to do. I joined pole dancing and found I loved it and it motivated me to keep on! Workouts like Zumba, hula hooping, running races, lifting weights, bellydancing or ballett can be a great way to keep yourself motivated to go for the next challenge.
- Aim for a fitness competition. Fitness modeling is within every woman's reach - it just takes a load of dedication, discipline and desire.
- Don't be so hard on yourself if you miss day or eat too much of the wrong stuff. Winners get up and keep going!
- Staple or tape up motivational posters or a dream board on your bathroom wall or fridge where you will see it all the time. I used to have one of Gabrielle Reece with her hard volleyball bod on my wall!
- Subscribe to Oxygen, Shape or another fitness magazine for inspiration and motivation to exercise!
- Think about this one: Don't let previous bad experiences involving fitness stop you from moving forward - bad memories of being overweight or not being picked by the volleyball team at school can hinder your spirit.
Forget the past! Let yourself start fresh and view yourself as the athlete you are.
- Most importantly, reward yourself for reaching your goals. Celebrate your accomplishments! Treat yourself to a massage or shopping for a new bikini or dress that shows off your new curves when you reach a fitness goal. Talk about motivation to exercise!
