We all struggle with how to get motivated to exercise. At least that’s what people who have no motivation believe.
There are some people however, who find making exercise a habit is easy. What’s their secret?
Have you noticed that people who exercise regularly never have to think about losing weight, plus they look and feel much younger.
Here are 5 tips to get you motivated to exercise:
1. Positive self-talk
Does the very word ‘exercise’ conjure up gruesome memories of a gym class in school where you were pushed beyond your limits? This left you feeling miserable and unhappy every time you even thought of partaking in some form of exercise.
Do you find you’re always trying to talk yourself into exercising because you know you should, even though you hate it?
Or do you tell yourself how much you love to exercise every day and how it not only makes you look great, it makes you feel great because you’ve released loads of endorphins.
The mind responds to the pictures you make in your head and the words you say to yourself.
– Marisa Peer
2. Form a habit
Those who exercise every single day, have made this a habit in their lives and wouldn’t miss a day no matter what. They have made this habit so familiar that they don’t even have time to think about it, they just get on with it. Just like brushing your teeth every day, these people wouldn’t consider missing it, fullstop.
They have learnt that the more they exercise, the easier it becomes.
3. Make a commitment
Committing to others or even just to yourself could be just what you need to making daily exercise a regular habit. You could plan to meet up with a friend once a week or more often, for a walk or a swim.
You could join a bootcamp or other type of exercise class that you pay for in advance, giving you more of an incentive to continue to go regularly.
Or commit to yourself for one week to walk for 30 minutes every morning. If you continue with this habit it soon becomes second nature, so, that if you skip a day you really feel like you’ve missed out.
Another excellent way to commit is to sign up for a fun run or charity walk in the future. Better still, do this with a friend or group of friends. Once you’ve signed up you will need to train regularly so you’re in good physical condition. Having a future event to look forward to will really help to keep you on track.
4. Reward yourself
Create a reward for yourself when you achieve certain goals. For example, if you walk for an hour, treat yourself to a cup of coffee at your favourite cafe.
Set a goal that if you walk every day for a month, you’ll treat yourself to a massage.
5. Get inspired
If you’ve ever created a vision board, you’ll know how incredibly effective they can be in moving you closer to that which you desire. You can make it as simple or as detailed as you like. Simply sift through some health and fitness magazines and cut out pictures that inspire you to strive for the body you would like to achieve.
You could alternatively download images from blogs or social media that really resonate with you. Paste them into a document online then add this as a screensaver to your desktop or mobile device so you see it regularly.
