5 Tips On How To Motivate Yourself To Exercise

If you are reading this article, I would assume that you lack exercise motivation. I also assume that you are not exercising regularly, or may not be exercising at all. I also assume that you know the value of exercise to good health and well-being, but for whatever reason(s), you have not made exercise a part of your lifestyle.

Don’t fret. It’s not too late to start exercising. But, it’s really up to YOU to make it happen. The tips in this article may assist you in attaining exercise motivation and convince you to make regular exercise a part of your lifestyle.

• Figure out the main reason why you need to exercise. Do you want to be more alluring or healthy? Would you like to be able to get down and play with your grand kids, or attend their graduation and weddings? Do you want to have the health and strength to maintain your independence as long as possible in your “old age”? Do you want to fit into some of your favorite clothes again? What exactly could it be? You must have a reason.

Once you have figured it out, keep thinking about it. As the saying goes, “out of sight, out of mind”, so it is with your motive to exercise. If you keep it on your mind day in and day out, you won’t be able to discredit the logic behind working out. This is the best exercise motivation. If you have the motivation, and you are thinking about it all of the time, the action (exercising) will eventually come.

Exercise Motivation – You Must Love Yourself

• Learn to appreciate and love your own body firstly. After all, the body is the temple to the soul. Once you learn to truly love yourself as you are, you will not want to do anything to harm yourself. Ponder that an unhealthy body will not be able to operate at its maximum potential or efficiency. Also, keep in mind that your emotional health is closely tied to your physical health. For example, you may be able to delay or prevent senility by exercising regularly. The same goes for depression or just being down in the dump.

• Find exercises that are fun to do, and whenever possible, exercise with a friend, or someone you enjoy being around. Generally, people will do what they enjoy. For example, you chose your line of work because you enjoy it. Your hobbies are most likely centered around what you enjoy. So are your weekend activities. So, why should not exercise be the same way? If exercise is going to become a part of your lifestyle, you must find an exercise program that you will enjoy doing. Doing what you enjoy will definitely increase exercise motivation.

• Once you have done some research on the types of exercises you will enjoy, then make a plan, write it down, and stick with it. Those who have a definite workout plan, such as a target number of weekly workouts at a specific location, tend to stick to their routines with significantly more success than people who focus only on a certain result — such as losing 15 pounds – or merely work out whenever they feel like it, or only when it is convenient for them to do so.

You should schedule your workout time just as you would a church or company meeting. “That way, when someone asks if you’re able to meet at 6, it is possible to actually say, ‘Sorry, I have an appointment; how about 8 instead?'” says Sherri McMillan, owner of Northwest Personal Training in Vancouver, Washington.

Exercise Motivation – Reward Yourself

• Lastly, reward yourself with something you really enjoy every week or two. And for God’s sake, take a day off infrequently (note that I said infrequently nor frequently). I know some people who go to the gym every day, 365 days a year (I guess they do stop during the holidays). It’s like a “must” regimen to them. And, to be honest, I don’t think they are always having fun. They may be addicted to exercise (which is not all bad). But, we all need a break sometime from normal routines in order to refresh the body as well as the mind. Plus, taking a day or two off may give a boost to your exercise motivation so that you will look forward to getting back into it. I suppose I need to lighten up on the criticism.

The take home point is that exercise motivation can only come from you. All I did was to lay out some possible pointers that will help you motivate yourself. Remember, though, that exercise along will not produce good health unless you are eating a healthy diet. Personally, I have found out that a hard workout will make you think twice about eating unhealthy because you would not want to lose the benefits of all of the hard work and time you spent exercising.