Motivation

We all know that exercise can be pure magic for the mind, body and soul. But how do you go from a sporadic, on again, off again exerciser to someone for whom exercise is a lifelong habit, as natural and necessary as going to work and eating regular meals?
Here are 23 tips for you!

1. The first thing to do is to ask yourself: Why are you exercising? Are you trying to get in shape for an upcoming event? Do you want to lose weight, sleep better, increase your energy, gain strength, add muscle tone and flexibility, or just feel a heightened sense of well being? If the reason you are exercising has anything to do with someone else (for example, your boyfriend says you need to lose weight or get in shape), you need a new reason (and, quite possibly, a new boyfriend).

2. Set goals. Set both a short term goal, to achieve in three to six weeks, and a long term goal, to achieve over the course of a year. Make sure your goals are achievable enough that they are not discouraging, but high enough that you have an incentive to tie your workout shoes each day. It is also important that your goals are specific and directly related to your specific motivation for exercising. For example, my main motivation for exercising is to be confident with my body and to make it strong and healthy, so my goal is to work out at least 5 days per week.

3. Keep an exercise journal or log. Write down how your exercise is making you feel each day. How is your exercise benefiting your mood, energy levels, quality of sleep, weight, and so on? Do some exercises have more significant effects than others? Chart your progress in regard to your specific goals.

4. Take photos of yourself each month in your workout gear so you have a visual record of your results. The scale is not always going to be your friend since muscle weighs more than fat!

5. Make sure you are working out hard enough to release endorphins. Of course, you will want to talk to a doctor before starting any workout regimen, and you want to make sure that you are exercising at the optimum level for you, your body type, and your fitness level. I find that I am much more likely to continue with an exercise program if each workout releases those endorphins and immediately improves they way I feel. My personal favorites are P90X and Insanity!

6. Advertisements for fitness products can be tremendously motivating. Purchase a fitness magazine and make an inspirational collage of images, advertisements and slogans that speak to you. Post your collage where you will see it each day. Or make a collage of pictures of someone you would like to look like.

7. Make sure you are using proper technique. It's best to go slow and in correct form than fast and poor form. Don't injure yourself!

8. Join an online community, such as Team Beachbody which encourages you to log and track your exercise each day. Prizes are given away daily for those who log their workouts! There are also some really useful tools to help you keep track of your progress. Of course, you also get me as your free fitness coach :)

9. If you enjoy working out with someone, call a friend to help hold you accountable for those daily workouts.

10. Join a group that combines fitness goals with charity fundraising. The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Team In Training, for example, provides training to walk or run a whole or half marathon, or to participate in a triathlon or 100 mile bike ride, all while raising money for a good cause.

11. If you prefer to work out alone, give yourself something fun to do while you exercise. Find some good heart pumping music or listen to books on tape. A suspenseful audiobook may be all you need to get on those running shoes each day.

12. Identify the excuses you like to use and have a ready made response. If time is an issue, make sure your workout clothes are ready to go. If you have young children, get a good jogging stroller or set up a babysitting swap with another mom in your neighborhood: you can watch her children while she works out and vice versa. Or like I do, exercise after my kids are in bed. I'm a night owl, so that works best for me.

13. Make sure you have the right gear, which can make all the difference in the comfort level of your workout. A good pair of shoes is essential. Ladies, get a good fitting sports bra, it makes all the difference!

14. Recognize that your will to exercise is going to fluctuate, and exercise anyway. Sometimes it helps if I promise myself that I can stop my workout after 10 minutes if I still want to. At that point, I'm usually feeling so much better that I finish the workout.

15. Place a giant star on your calendar each day to indicate that you completed your workout. These visual rewards can be so motivating.

16. Try not to take more than one day off at a time. I have found this really important to avoid losing valuable momentum. If I take two days off, it becomes very easy to take another day, and then another day. That means that if your workout is only part of your weekday routine, weave it into your weekend routine, too. What fits better into your schedule, being dead 24 hrs a day or exercising 60 min a day? Don't look at it as a chore, but as a way to better your well being and quality of life. Health IS wealth!

17. Be gentle with yourself. If you miss a workout or two or three, get right back to your regular schedule. You will feel better instantly!

18. Invest in a good heart rate monitor so you can make sure you are keeping your heart rate up and in the zone and also so you can track calories burned.

19. Schedule your daily exercise on your to do list and in your planner. Think of it as simply something you need to do before your head hits the pillow.

20. Give yourself simple rewards. It is generally best if these rewards are not edible, since a food reward can be a tad demoralizing after you have just worked to burn so many calories in a workout. You can get yourself a nice massage or other spa treatment, new clothes for your new body, just pick out something you deserve for all your hard work!

21. Try to think of exercise as something you do for yourself: a gift you give yourself, a way to stay balanced and focused, and time when you can be alone with your thoughts.

22. Pick up the fabulous book by Jeff Olson called The Slight Edge. It is very motivating (not only for exercising but just life in general)

23. Contact me  if you need some extra motivation or tips! I am always here to help you