Keeping Fit And Staying Motivated

While we all know that keeping fit and taking more exercise is vital for our good health, it can be difficult to stay motivated. When the weather is cold, when we’re tired after a long day at work or when we would just rather be indoors watching TV it can be difficult to drum up the enthusiasm to head to the gym, go out for a jog or put on that exercise DVD.

If you’re struggling to stay motivated, here are some top tips to help you stay on track.

Begin Slowly

The key to staying on target with your exercise regime is not to push yourself too hard at first. If you go all out on your first day you’re going to end up putting yourself off for good. If you’re in pain or completely exhausted after your first exercise session the chances of you heading out again to do the same thing tomorrow are pretty low. Starting slowly is the key. You literally can’t run before you can walk. If, for example, you’re thinking of taking up jogging, don’t try to run a mile on your first day. Instead, try walking briskly instead before progressing to a light jog.

Exercise Even If You Don’t Want To

It’s inevitable that at some point you won’t want to do any exercise. You need to push the thought of quitting to the back of your mind and exercise anyway. Once you’ve completed your workout you’ll feel great.

Put Your Workout Gear On

It’s amazing how much you can suddenly achieve when you’ve put your workout gear on. The longer you hang around the house in your work clothes or in your jeans and T shirt, the harder it is to get motivated. However if you put on your tracksuit and trainers the minute you get home, and then go straight out and close the door, you’ll find that you suddenly have the motivation to work out. It often helps if you buy brand new training gear especially to motivate you. It’s amazing what a bright pair of new trainers or some stylish and flattering leggings can do to give you a boost.

Join In With Community Sports

Working out with other people is also extremely motivating. After all, you can’t let your friends down. One of the best things you can do is sign up for a class or a local sports club. Joining in with community activities like football or other sports is a brilliant way to make friends and socialise while also getting fit.

Schedule Your Workout

If you just plan to fit in your exercise regime as and when you can, you’ll be tempted to give it a miss. If you schedule your workout just like any other appointment, you’ll be more likely to stick to it. Find a time in your weekly or daily schedule for your workout and make sure that you actually do it.

Choose A Playlist

Exercise is never easy. One way to push through your barriers and to keep going even when you want to quit is to put together a motivational playlist. Choose uplifting songs which inspire you to keep exercising – you’ll need music with a powerful beat so forget the ballads! Keep changing your playlist frequently to stay on track.

Don’t Let Your Past Affect Your Present

Many people who don’t want to exercise were put off by a bad experience in their past. Often, people who were passed over for the team at school or who were told that they weren’t sporty by their teachers are reluctant to try again at sports later in life. However, it’s important to not allow your past to hold you back. You don’t need to pay attention to what anyone else says or has said to you. Just get out there and try. You could surprise yourself!

Imagine Your Best Self

Every time you think about quitting, imagine yourself looking amazing and feeling great. You don’t want to be sitting outdoors in the middle of summer wishing that you’d put in the effort so that you looked good in that swimsuit! Although it’s hard to get in good shape, you’ll appreciate the effort that you’ve put in eventually.

Make Health Your Priority

Health all too often seems to come way down in our list of priorities, and often well below work. However, when you think about it, your well-being is a lot more important than work. If you aren’t healthy, you won’t be able to work in the long run. Therefore, you need to keep exercising, and put your workout regime ahead of things like overtime. After all, evidence has shown that people who exercise more are actually a lot more productive when they are at work than their non-exercising peers.