How to motivate yourself to exercise?
@Professor2010 (20162)
India
September 24, 2010 7:06am CST
Friends,
I got some tips from a friend, it says, ‘there are a million ways to motivate yourself to exercise; actually, here are some good tips to try’. I am sharing with you all in mylot.
Have fun: If you hate running, don't go to the track for exercise. Find something you like. The list of different kinds of exercises is nearly endless. The only really important thing is to get your body moving and your heart rate up.
How you feel after a workout: I always feel great after a good workout. It’s a high. And I let that motivate me the next time.
Calories burned: If you count calories (and its really one of the most effective ways to lose weight), you know that the more you exercise, the more calories you burn, and the bigger your calorie deficit.
How you are going to look: Imagine a slimmer, fitter you. Now let that visualization drive you.
Change it up: Even if you have a routine you enjoy, mix it up from time to time. Try entirely different exercises. You can check out a tape at the library and try yoga or kick boxing for an afternoon. This will not only keep you interested, it will break your muscles out of their routine and help produce better results.
Get a buddy: Exercising with a friend introduces a positive kind of peer pressure. You will be more likely to go to the gym if you know someone is waiting there for you. Talking and laughing while exercising will also keep you from being bored.
An exercise log/graph: For some reason, writing it down is extremely important. Do it for a week and you will see the effect?
Get appropriate clothing: If you don't have the appropriate clothes for the exercise, it can be irritating, uncomfortable, frustrating, or even unsafe. If you exercise outside after dusk, be sure you have reflective clothing to prevent traffic accidents. Also be sure the clothing looks nice; if you don't like the way your clothing looks, you may feel uncomfortable, and less likely to exercise.
Pack Ahead of Time: An iPod, athletic shoes, and a towel whatever. Walking around the house trying to find stuff is a good time to lose your resolve. Put everything together in your gym bag. When you finish working out, take out things that need to be laundered and replace them immediately.
Have a Goal: What do you want to achieve? Make it specific, make it meaningful, and make it obtainable. Be sure to have short-term benchmarks along the way. It’s OK to change your goals if the original plan doesn't work, but have a goal. Regularly evaluate how you are doing on your goals.
Success stories: I find the success stories of others incredibly inspirational. If a fitness website has success stories, always read them. Share your story there.
Reward Yourself: Have a healthy reward when you reach a goal. Buy yourself that cute pair of bike shorts. Go for a weekend hiking. Soak in the sauna for your workout that day. Buy a new yoga video. Whatever works for you to celebrate in line with your healthy lifestyle.
Hope you find this useful, comment on this and share your views.Professor
I got some tips from a friend, it says, ‘there are a million ways to motivate yourself to exercise; actually, here are some good tips to try’. I am sharing with you all in mylot.
Have fun: If you hate running, don't go to the track for exercise. Find something you like. The list of different kinds of exercises is nearly endless. The only really important thing is to get your body moving and your heart rate up.
How you feel after a workout: I always feel great after a good workout. It’s a high. And I let that motivate me the next time.
Calories burned: If you count calories (and its really one of the most effective ways to lose weight), you know that the more you exercise, the more calories you burn, and the bigger your calorie deficit.
How you are going to look: Imagine a slimmer, fitter you. Now let that visualization drive you.
Change it up: Even if you have a routine you enjoy, mix it up from time to time. Try entirely different exercises. You can check out a tape at the library and try yoga or kick boxing for an afternoon. This will not only keep you interested, it will break your muscles out of their routine and help produce better results.
Get a buddy: Exercising with a friend introduces a positive kind of peer pressure. You will be more likely to go to the gym if you know someone is waiting there for you. Talking and laughing while exercising will also keep you from being bored.
An exercise log/graph: For some reason, writing it down is extremely important. Do it for a week and you will see the effect?
Get appropriate clothing: If you don't have the appropriate clothes for the exercise, it can be irritating, uncomfortable, frustrating, or even unsafe. If you exercise outside after dusk, be sure you have reflective clothing to prevent traffic accidents. Also be sure the clothing looks nice; if you don't like the way your clothing looks, you may feel uncomfortable, and less likely to exercise.
Pack Ahead of Time: An iPod, athletic shoes, and a towel whatever. Walking around the house trying to find stuff is a good time to lose your resolve. Put everything together in your gym bag. When you finish working out, take out things that need to be laundered and replace them immediately.
Have a Goal: What do you want to achieve? Make it specific, make it meaningful, and make it obtainable. Be sure to have short-term benchmarks along the way. It’s OK to change your goals if the original plan doesn't work, but have a goal. Regularly evaluate how you are doing on your goals.
Success stories: I find the success stories of others incredibly inspirational. If a fitness website has success stories, always read them. Share your story there.
Reward Yourself: Have a healthy reward when you reach a goal. Buy yourself that cute pair of bike shorts. Go for a weekend hiking. Soak in the sauna for your workout that day. Buy a new yoga video. Whatever works for you to celebrate in line with your healthy lifestyle.
Hope you find this useful, comment on this and share your views.Professor6 people like this
23 responses
@GardenGerty (157563)
• United States
24 Sep 10
That is my problem as well, Zandi. I only seem to move to go downstairs to the kitchen.
@sender621 (14894)
• United States
24 Sep 10
Being your own motivatrion to exercise is not always easy. Giving yourself that little push you need to get you headed in the right direction does not always come easily. You have to give yourself a reason sometimes to make the exercise effort worthwhile. Exercise is a daily habit we would all be well to adopt.1 person likes this
@derek_a (10874)
•
25 Sep 10
Yes, I think you give some very valuable pointers here my friend. I have always found that exercise that I don't enjoy is more difficult and I am much less likely to want to do it again.
Nowadays, I don't do too much or too little, but I listen carefully to my body. If it feel lethargic and tired and if after 10 minutes or so doesn't seem to loosen up, that is a message to quit for that particular day. I used to go to the gym regularly and push myself, but one day I recognized that I was pushing myself too hard - getting on a rowing machine or cycle in front of a blank wall, or rows of other people on such "toture machines" This wasn't doing me as much good as it should have been doing. This was my rehabilitation after my heart attack, and whilst it gave me back a certain level of fitness, I was far better off going for walks with my camera, not pushing myself too hard and enjoying the experience whilst at the same time exercising my creativity with my photography. _Derek
_Derek
@dorannmwin (36392)
• United States
26 Sep 10
For me I think that the best way to motivate myself to exercise is to know that in the long run it is going to help me to be healthier. I have struggled a lot with my weight in my life and that is the reason that I find it to be easy to motivate myself to exercise. Recently I've found that I really do find a lot of pleasure in walking. They've got a new walking trail here in town and it is very long, but I really do enjoy it.
@chayapathys (2111)
• India
25 Sep 10
Thank you professor for you excellent and educative article on tips for healthy living.What all you are saying is statements of facts and in the nature of advice.Where is the scope for denying what you say and post a reply for further discussion.We all accept your accept your statement...
@rogue13xmen13 (14403)
• United States
24 Sep 10
I use my iPod, and I just exercise where ever I can. I walk as much as I can. I just do whatever I can to get exercise.
@LaurenInLA (2270)
• United States
25 Sep 10
I think that these are all good ideas. The most important thing is to do something that you will enjoy so that you are consistent with exercise. About 4 years ago, I read the book "Younger Next Year" and that book changed my life. After reading it, I would no more eliminate exercise from my day than I would air.
@tomitomi (5429)
• Singapore
25 Sep 10
Thanks for the wonderful tips prof.
May I just add. Try to do something that we like and easy enough to do. A walk is not that bad. Have it in the park where the atmosphere is very conducive and seeing others around who share our interest is a definite yes. Have a simple schedule which is easy to follow especially for a start, say early morning or late afternoon for an hour a session 3 or 4 days per week. Get hold of a few friends who share the same interest.
@irent23 (148)
• Dubai, United Arab Emirates
25 Sep 10
Wow!... I like your tips Professor2010, I know these can help me go on my exercise..lolz!, I would love to share this also to my friends who are eager to have their exercise. Thanks!..
Just continue to share tips. God bless you!^^
Happy mylotting!
@Sanitary (3968)
• Singapore
25 Sep 10
I don't agree on 2 points stated in here. First of it is counting of calories lost. When one does that, they are more likely to give up on exercising rather than working out harder? It takes one about an hour of excercise to burn off just 1000 calories, when our usual meals throughout the whole day must be at least 3500 calories for men and 3200 for women. How many of us can afford to exercise more than 1 hour? While the way to burn that much of fats is via cardio exercises such as running, swimming, aerobics or yoga. This way will only turn people off from exercising.
While second thing I don't agree is writing of exercise log. When one just started out, they will feel motivated to exercise regularly or maybe not. But when they hit a period of time where they are too busy, not able to exercise, that's where laziness kicks in. Refer to the exercise log book to see a huge gap of time not exercising will only put them off because all previous effort had been wastes and they don't want to start from scratch again from those hard work.
I only disagree with these 2 points while I agree with all others.
@Echocool (29)
• China
25 Sep 10
It's a good idea, I always want to motivate myself to exercise, but I often stop because many reasons, such as busy, I think i need it very much, workout everyday, I have a big pressure about my research, after exercising, I will feel good, doing something efficient efficient.I hope I can insist on exercising after getting this tips.Thank you.
@sceptical (6)
• China
25 Sep 10
I think the most important that have fun with exercising . If you are not having fun with exercising it can easily start to go boring , difficult and tiring . After a while , you can find that you begin to skip sessions and eventually you may even stop altogether . Experiment with new exercise routines and change them up every once in while . Doing the same routine repetitively can really get to be a drag , so make your exercise fun and enjoyable by adding variety to it ...
@Hatley (163781)
• Garden Grove, California
24 Sep 10
hi p rofessor thanks for all the great p ointers as we all need daily
exercise even those lucky people who are slim. I need something to do
exercise wise that can rev up my heart without having to drag my lame leg around.it makes it hard to walk fast enough to get any good out of a walk. I used to swim for exercise but alas Gold Crest has no athletic venue here at all not even a lousy swimming pool. I can lift weights and have an exercise heavy rubber band I can use but am not sure if I am getting enough reved up metabolism with that.
@dawnald (85135)
• Shingle Springs, California
24 Sep 10
Fine a nice place to exercise - a park, lake, river, mountain trail, beach...
@tigeraunt (6326)
• Philippines
24 Sep 10
dear professor,
i use to run when i was younger but now it seems difficult to do. i easily get tired and walking on the treadmill is lonely unless there is music or tv on the side.
i guess doing exercise with someone or a group will be most motivating.
thank you for this discussion.
ann
@happiness2012 (13)
• China
24 Sep 10
Thank you for your tips,I will try some of them.
recently,I plan to do an exercising in the morning.Because of the new envitronment,I can't find good place to do it,but now ,I have found a good track to run.so ,several days later,I will put the plan into practice.
I enjoy the process of running,I can feel the wind sweep my face slightly,I can smell the favor of follow.It's an wonderfull journey.
with the purpose of lose weight,we may miss the chance of watching beautiful scenary ,so ,Just see exercise as a part of our life,you will be happy more!
of course,it's my feeling!
@katie0 (5203)
• Japan
24 Sep 10
I think the best thing is to make your willing to exercise strong first. Many people are not into body activity but brain so they will be more relaxing, sitting down or laying down. So if you are not the type of exercising person but you want to do, visualization might help.
See your self with the kind of body you want, and when you see in your mind you go there after in your reality.
