How to Get Motivated to Exercise
To lose weight and exercise every day is the commonest of new year's resolution that people make. And like most resolutions, it goes down the drain just a few weeks into the year! We all know how beneficial exercising is for the mind and the body, still we are unable to keep up with a regular exercise routine. If this sounds like your story, scroll down for some useful tips. They worked for me and I hope they work for you too!
Getting Motivated to Exercise
Get Inspired!
One of the most effective ways to get motivated is by taking inspiration from others. So, if there is any celebrity whose physique you admire, put their poster up on the wall of your room. Search the Internet and you will find blogs of many people who have lost weight and become fitter through exercising. Read these to take tips on exercising as well as on how to maintain a routine. If you have joined a gym, talk to fellow exercisers and get inspired by the ones who have been exercising for a long time and now have bodies to die for! When you see or know people who are big time into exercising, you will automatically feel motivated to do the same!
Set Realistic Goals!
Many a time, it is seen that the motivation to lose weight is lost when people set unrealistic goals for themselves. That's why, it is always preferred that you train under a professional who will make realistic targets for you, keeping your body weight and needs in mind. So, set up an achievable goal both in terms of losing weight and gaining muscles and you are more than likely to stick to it and make efforts to achieve it.
Enjoy It!
If you perform the same exercises everyday, soon you will find yourself feeling bored. So, alternate between different kinds of exercises. For instance, if you perform an aerobic activity for half an hour every day, take up cycling one day, running on another and dancing the third day. This way you will be able to enjoy your exercise routine and would not want to quit it in between.
Pair-up!
It is my personal experience that if you make an exercise routine with someone, there are greater chances that you will stick to it. Days when you don't feel like exercising, your exercise buddy can pull you up and motivate you to not give exercises a miss. You can do the same on days when your buddy is feeling too lazy to exercise!
Reward Yourself!
Giving oneself a pat on the back is very important. Reward yourself, every once in a while, to keep your motivation high. Say, for instance, if your aim is to lose X amount of weight per week and you are actually able to achieve that, reward yourself by going for a movie or by buying yourself an accessory. Appreciating oneself really works!
Get Small-sized Clothes!
Go to the market and get some of the clothes of your choice which are smaller in size and that you would want to fit in! Try on these clothes after every few weeks and when you are unable to fit in, tell yourself that one day you would wear them. Actually, most overweight people already have such clothes in their closet so they don't need to buy some new ones, right?
Tell Others!
It is human nature that we do not want to appear as non-achievers or quitters in front of others. So, if you have set a goal to exercise every day, tell it to your friends and family. When you know that there are people who are going to ask you about it every now and then, you are most likely to keep up with your routine, to save your face!
Buy Funky Exercise Wear!
Get yourself a trendy pair of shoes and some funky clothes to wear while exercising. Once you wear them, you will automatically have a good mood and would feel like exercising! One tip - get your exercise clothes in your favorite color!
Look at the Bright Future!
If you exercise every day and are able to have a fit body, it's but obvious that you would look good. Attractive looks are a sure shot way to attract the opposite sex. Another advantage of a fit and trim body is that you will not fall ill easily and will steer clear of all lifestyle diseases such as obesity and cancer, which have been found to be interlinked with weight gain. Moreover, researches show that good looking people are much more likely to get a job or a promotion than their ordinary looking counterparts! This means a fit body can get you a job and a raise! So, every day, envision a future of good health, wealth and lots of fun! Tell yourself that if this is what you want, start exercising today!
Being positive and believing in yourself is very necessary to achieve anything in life. Remove all negative thoughts from your mind and tell yourself that this time you are not going to break your exercise routine. Remember, all battles are first fought in the mind than in reality! So, only if you think you can, you will. All the best!
