[ttuPrincess]

found on ehow.com

How to Stay Motivated to Exercise
You know you should exercise, but some days it's tough to get moving: not enough time, too tired, no energy. Counteract those excuses by discovering what motivates you, and use these strategies to develop and maintain an active lifestyle.

Steps:
1. Determine an attainable goal such as exercising twice on weekdays, once on weekends. Creating realistic goals will set you up for success. If your goal becomes too easy, you can always design a new one.

2. Create rewards for achieving your goal. The reward can be a massage, a new workout outfit, a new CD, a session with a personal trainer, or a new piece of sports equipment - whatever you really want.

3. Partner with a friend, co-worker or loved one - someone who will support you and your goals without sabotaging them.

4. Subscribe to a fitness magazine or online fitness newsletter. New tips and exercises can be inspirational and alleviate boredom.

5. Create a competition with co-workers or friends. For example, the team whose members exercise for 30 minutes, three times each week for three months wins a prize. You decide what the prize is.

6. Change into your workout clothes. Sometimes, it's just a matter of getting dressed that causes the biggest barrier.

7. Erase the concept that if you can't do at least 30 minutes you're wasting your time. Exercise burns calories, increases energy, and improves your health - even in small doses.

8. Try a new sport or class. Adding variety, group support and competition can increase your likelihood of exercising.

9. Make a commitment to your dog to go for a long walk at least twice each week.

10. Look for ways to incorporate activity into your day, even if you can't do your normal exercise routine. Take the stairs instead of the elevator, go bowling instead of to the movies, or use a push mower instead of a power mower.

11. Sign up for a race and send in the entry fee. Whatever your activity - running, biking, walking, swimming - there are hundreds of races offered all over the world. Pick a place you've always wanted to visit.

12. Join a gym. For some, paying for a membership increases the likelihood of compliance. It also eliminates the bad-weather excuse.


Tips:
Exercise in the morning. Research shows that people who make exercise a priority first thing in their day are more likely to stick with it.

Every person goes through periods of time when it's incredibly challenging to maintain an exercise program. Acknowledge it when it happens, recognize that it's just a brief period of time, and restart your program as soon as possible.

Choose things that motivate you - not what others want.

Remind yourself of the many health benefits of an exercise program.


Warnings:
Always consult with your health care provider before beginning an exercise program.

[ttuPrincess]

1. Keep a journal
Keep track of your workouts in a journal. It's a great tool to see your progress on paper.


2. Visualization
It will be a boost to take a moment to visualize your exercise. Imagine the running course; the path, the trees, the wildlife sounds and sights, and the smells of the outdoors. This can be a real jump-start!

3. Fun
There are a few exercise classes that I actually look forward to because they are so much fun. In fact, if my agenda doesn't look too crowded, I often work in an "extra" water aerobics class!

4. Buying exercise equipment.
Classified ads are invariably filled with exercise equipment that is virtually new and reasonably priced. Decide what you want and watch for it.

5. Make an appointment
Put exercise on your calendar or in your day planner. If you treat exercise as an appointment you're more likely to keep the commitment as you would any other appointment.

6. Think about how good you will feel afterwards
When you think about not going
to the gym, consider how you
will feel afterwards, if you do
go. Think about how you will
feel if you don't work out.
With this in mind, get yourself
into the gym and you've overcome
the biggest obstacle - you!

7. While reading e-mail or websites
I do toe-heel exercises, raising and lowering, which helps flexibility. Sometimes I stretch my arms over my head, to the opposite side for five minutes. Shoulder scrunches and finger stretches and wrist rotations are other easy exercises while reading.

8. Staying motivated
Think of being healthy to watch your children grow up and to see your grandchildren.

9. Set goals
Set realistic goals that are somewhat flexible. For instance, I will exercise 3 times a week (but not on specific days). That way if you miss a day you can make it up. Don't start out too quickly. Vary your excersise routine to keep it interesting.

10. Change is good
Don't do the same exercises all the time. After awhile they become boring to you as well as your muscles. Variety is the spice of life.

11. How to get going for your workout
Think about how energized and refreshing you will feel after excersising. Also think about how you can get fit and look fabulous at the same time!!!

12. Start small
Naturally, it's difficult to get started and you don't want to do a 30 minute work out the first time. So, start simple!Start out with a 10 leg lifts, sit ups, jumping jacks, etc..., then gradully add more as you go along!

13. Walk to the beat!
I walk for 45 minutes every day. Some days are tough to get going. I've made myself a cassette with 15 min. of slow-to-moderate songs, 20 min. of fast music, then 10 min. of moderate, then 5 min. at the end to cool down. Get your Walkman, Give it a try!

14. Do it, then think about it
When your mind starts arguing with you about starting your workout, tell it you'll get back to it after you've done the first 5 minutes of exercise. Check in with yourself then after you've done that first 5 minutes--you probably won't want to quit!

15. Sign up for a class
Sign up for a class, you will feel more motivated to go. Instead of just planning it out in you agenda. This works especially well if you sign up with a friend.

16. While you watch TV
Most of us find time to watch a couple hours of t.v at night, so why not exercise during that time? Do cardio during your favourite show and weights or abs on the commercials. The time will fly by.

17. Suit workout to you
Before picking a new exercise, make sure you choose a team sport if you like group activities. If you don't like to compete, choose a solo sport. If you like the great outdoors, head outside - if not, head for a gym. Don't waste your time!

18. Display a current pic on your bathroom mirror
Put up a current or "fat" picture of yourself on your bathroom mirror. Everyday when you get up, you tell yourself that you are moving further from that picture (and the way you looked in it) because you will do your workout that day.

Each day as you mentally prepare yourself to look better than the picture, you will be motivated to keep going.

19. Look in the mirror
When you feel lazy towards working out stand in front of the mirrow and examine the flaws of you body that need to get fixed.. workout will seem a lot more rewarding.

20. Stay Motivated Kim V.
Cut out a photo of a fit person and a not so fit person. Tape them to your mirror or fridge and think, "Do I want to look like this, or like this?"

21. Write it down!
A goal not written, is only a wish

22. Turn up the music
Play fast-paced music, even before you start working out. Whenever I feel like rolling over and dying rather than working out, I crank up the radio and it always gets me motivated.

23. motivation
Well, motivation can come in any form. For me, I am motivated by certain movies and music. So whenever I really don't feel like working out, I just listen to certain songs that just hype me up. For me, the hardest part is always getting started, so the music or movie gives me a jumpstart.

24. My motivation
To be perfectly honest, being appealing to the opposite sex is what motivates me. I look at girls who I think look good and I want to be the guy that girls think looks good. It might sound superficial, but that's what motivates me.

25. Best motivation
Set your alarm early. I set mine at 5:00 and once it goes off, I'm awake anyway and go do my exercises. Do it during the weekdays and give yourself a rest on weekends if you need it.

26. Increase
Every time you work out, always try to increase your exercise by one weight or an extra 5-10 repetitions.

This will motivate you to keep trying harder and get a better feeling for yourself knowing that you are improving.

27. Give yourself tiny rewards..
I tell myself that if I'm able to complete my tough exercise routine today, I'll reward myself with that long luxurious bath I've been dying for later! For every accomplishment, treat yourself to a little something! You deserve it!

[Greek_girl]

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