Top Ten Secrets to Staying Motivated to Move
By
Meghan Vivo
March 22, 2008
You know you need to exercise, and you know how to do it. The fact that you’re even thinking about fitness shows you’re on the right track. Now the hard part is finding the motivation to stop thinking and start doing. Motivation won’t come to you just by waiting for it. You must create it.
Where does motivation come from? For some people, it comes from a competitive desire to win a sporting event or game while others are motivated by the idea of losing weight or living long, healthy lives. Some people have found ways to harness this motivation and work out religiously. How do they do it? Here are a few of the best-kept secrets of workout junkies:
1. Keep a Journal
Commit to a workout routine that is manageable for you. Then record your daily exercise in a journal, on a note stuck to your bathroom mirror or refrigerator, or on a calendar. Seeing your progress (or lack thereof) in writing can motivate you to stick to the program. Also make note of how exercise improves your mood, energy levels, quality of sleep, weight, and so on, so that the benefits of your hard work are recognized.
2. Set Realistic Goals
Start by assessing your current physical condition and setting both short-term goals to achieve in three to six weeks, and long-term goals to achieve over the course of a year. Since the average person won’t lose 30 pounds in 30 days or look like a swimsuit model right away, be sure your goals are realistic for your lifestyle and body type. When setting exercise goals, start with low-intensity activities two to three times a week for at least 30 minutes at a time, and work up to a more challenging program as you get stronger. If you push yourself too hard in the beginning, you’ll probably feel like a failure and give up.
Take a hard look at your reasons for getting in shape. If your goal is simply to fit into your favorite pair of pants or impress your friends, you’ll likely get sidetracked by minor challenges and lose your motivation. Instead, try to focus on achieving better health so you can improve your quality of life, not run out of breath climbing stairs, and so on. Although the first few weeks of any new routine will be a challenge, it will eventually become a habit that is a natural part of your day.
3. Join a Class or Recruit a Friend
According to the American Council on Exercise, “joining a club, team or finding an exercise partner ... provides a support system and someone to simply share the experience with. Often times just knowing someone will be asking you ‘How’s it going?’ can be the difference between exercise success and failure.” Statistics tell us that people who recruit a friend are more successful at exercising consistently because they keep each other accountable. Knowing that someone is waiting for you at 6 a.m. can be a great motivator. So take a walk, an aerobics class, a bike ride, or a hike with a family member or a friend, and you’ll stay motivated for the long haul. If your family and friends aren’t up to the challenge, join an online community, support group, or local club that encourages you to track your exercise each day and offers a forum to discuss any snags in your program.
4. Challenge Yourself
Working toward an event like a 5K or 10K walk or run, a triathlon, or a 100-mile bike trip is a great way to stay on track. Better yet, join a group that combines physical fitness with charity fundraising and walk or run a whole or half marathon that raises money for a good cause. Every exercise session will be fueled by a sense of purpose and will get you closer to your goal. By the time you complete your event, you’ll feel so accomplished, you’ll count the days until the next challenge.
5. Make It Fun
Lots of people think exercise is a chore. But if you choose an activity you’ve always loved, like rock climbing, kayaking, dancing, or walking outdoors, you might actually learn to love physical fitness. The more enjoyable the activity is, the more likely you'll stick with it. For entertainment in the gym, play your favorite music CD or television show, or update your iPod playlist with the hottest new heart-pumping songs.
The key to having fun is knowing your particular preferences – if you aren’t a morning person, make time to exercise at night. If you dread the gym, there are dozens of activities you can do at home, such as gardening, jogging around the neighborhood, dancing, and so forth. Researchers at the Mayo Clinic report that the calories people burn doing everyday activities are often as important as focused exercise. For example, an obese person sits 150 minutes more each day than a thin person. By working physical activity into mundane daily activities, like pacing while on the phone or taking the stairs instead of the elevator, you can burn off excess weight without even stepping into a gym.
6. Find Alternatives. One of the most common reasons people give up on exercise is boredom. Even avid exercisers have to vary their routine in order to stay interested and keep seeing results. Muscles are incredibly efficient. If you do the same exercises at the same pace and intensity each day, your body adapts and expends less energy, and you burn fewer calories. Try mixing up your workout routine by adding an extra workout per week, exploring a new activity, increasing your workout by 5-10 minutes, using interval training, or adding an incline. Vary your exercise routine to include weight lifting, walking or running, aerobic classes, swimming, and other activities to make each day interesting. If you are in an exercise rut, a personal trainer may be able to teach you new techniques and recharge your motivation.
No matter what, always remember a little exercise is better than none. If you’re running out of time in the day and there’s no way you’ll make it to the gym as scheduled, start looking for fun ways to fit in a few minutes of exercise. Do some yard work, walk the dog, or do strength training exercises with resistance bands in front of the TV at night.
7. Remind Yourself of the Benefits. The benefits of exercise are firmly supported by scientific research. Resistance training increases metabolism, bone density, and strength. Cardio exercise burns calories; releases endorphins; strengthens the heart, lungs, and bones; lowers blood pressure and bad cholesterol; reduces stress; fights disease; improves sleep; boosts immune function; and so much more. Knowing these benefits, and reminding yourself often, will help you remember that physical fitness is a gift you give yourself. Read about exercise and fitness to stay focused on why you’re doing it.
8. Post Motivational Photos
Put up photos around the house that will keep you motivated to exercise. It might be a photo of you at your thinnest (or heaviest), an outfit you want to wear someday, or a picture of healthy role model. Cut out images and slogans from magazines or newspapers that speak to you, and post them in places you look every day.
9. Keep Up Your Momentum
People who exercise regularly do so because it is a habit. They’ve become so accustomed to their routine, they no longer question whether or not they should work out on a particular day. In order to set up this kind of pattern, try not to take more than one day off at a time. Once you take two days off, it’s far too easy to take another day, and then another day. Before you know it, your days of being physically fit are over and you’ve adapted to an entirely new set of (unhealthy) habits. If you usually only work out on weekdays, try to weave at least one physical activity into your weekend routine as well.
Of course, everyone has an “off” day once in awhile. If you miss a workout or two or blow your diet, don’t use that as an excuse to quit altogether. Each new day is a chance to start fresh. Don’t beat yourself up – just get back into your regular schedule as soon as you can.
10. Reward Hard Work
After following your exercise plan for a couple of weeks, you’ll have more energy during the day, sleep better at night, and start noticing physical differences in your body. Enjoy these benefits by rewarding yourself for a job well done. If you reach a milestone like losing 10 pounds or mastering a certain level on the treadmill, invest in those new workout shoes you’ve been wanting, an outfit you’ve had your eye on, a good book, or whatever makes you feel good (except chocolate and junk food!).
There’s no question your will to exercise is going to fluctuate. Words from the wise – do it anyway. Put on your workout clothes, walk into the gym, and before you know it, your workout is done and you’re feeling great. Our bodies are meant to move on a daily basis. Although you may regret wasting time on a movie, TV show, or phone call, you’ll never regret taking time for exercise.
Comments
I freaking love it
who cares do it when no one is watching. its much less embarasing then a exercise class where everyoneknows the steps but you!
Does anyone use the dance revolution on their xbox here? I'm thinking about getting it but I don't want to look stupid
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