WHAT'S KEEPING YOU FROM WORKING OUT?
(I BET IT’S THE DREADED “M” WORD!)
If you are not exercising as regularly as you should, what’s your excuse?
“I am too busy with the kids.”
“I am too tired after work.”
“I don't feel comfortable working out around people.”
“I don’t like to sweat.”
“My dog swallowed my sneakers.”
Do any of these excuses sound familiar?
If the answer is “yes,” you are probably lacking the centerpiece of all desires that drives us to achieve certain goals...motivation. Motivation fuels our determination to make ours wants and desires into a reality.
Here’s why you should get motivated – FAST!
There’s abundance of evidence showing how important – in fact, how necessary – physical fitness is for our health. Unless you have been living on another planet all these years, you ought to know that regular exercise can help prevent or slow down various medical conditions, including (but not limited to) heart disease, cancer, stroke, diabetes, obesity, Alzheimer’s, arthritis, osteoporosis, depression, and many other illnesses that impact our health and longevity.
In fact, exercise has been proven to improve our overall quality of life in many ways: it relieves stress and anxiety, boosts our immune system and mental capacity, raises our energy level, helps us maintain healthy weight, and makes us stronger, more flexible and balanced.
In other words, virtually every aspect of your life can be improved by physical fitness. So what are you waiting for……
get moving!
Okay, so you’ve been in a rut, and transitioning from a sedentary to an active lifestyle may take some effort. We all need a compelling reason to get us moving, especially on days when that piece of chocolate cake is calling our name.
As Mark Twain once said: “The secret of getting ahead is getting started.” It’s as simple as that.
The best way to make sure you will start exercising and stick with your program through – literally - thick and thin, is to find some specific benefit that’s relevant to your life at this particular time, and not necessarily in the distant future.
Here are some helpful tips to get you started:
Motivation Tip No. 1:
Set goals that are realistic and attainable.
If you haven’t exercised lately – or at all - don’t plan to climb Mount Everest on your first day out. Chances are you won’t make it very far, and that failure will make you want to throw in the towel.
So begin with more realistic goals, ones that are easy to accomplish.
For example, ask yourself what changes / improvements you would like to see in your life right now?
Lose weight?
Be more energetic and less tired?
Manage your stress better?
Build up your strength and endurance?
Have a firmer, more toned body?
Whatever results you are looking for, regular exercise will help you get there. Focusing on all the benefits of physical activity is going to boost your resolve to start exercising – no “ifs” or “buts.”
And that brings us to…
Exercise Motivation Tip No. 2:
Choose your workout style
Everyone is different, and, when it comes to exercise options, there’s no such thing as “one size fits all.”
Are you the kind of person who likes personal attention? Do you need someone to guide you and show you all the right moves? No problem! A fitness instructor will be your new best friend! He or she will make sure your workout helps you achieve all the goals you have set out for yourself.
Or maybe you prefer to exercise with a group of like-minded people? Go ahead – classes and boot camps are great for social interactions (not to mention the terrific workouts).
Whichever of the two exercise styles you choose, you will always have someone to cheer you on. And that’s very important if lack of motivation is your stumbling block on the road to fitness.
Exercise Motivation Tip No. 3:
Mix it up and have fun!
Let’s tell it like it is: Exercise doesn’t have to be dull and it shouldn’t be drudgery. That’s the truth and we are standing by it.
We get it: it is difficult to get motivated when your program consists of same old routine and same old gym equipment time after time.
But it doesn’t have to be this way.
Remember back to the time when you were a child and played different types of games: hopscotch, rope skipping, etc. You were exercising and not even knowing it. Why? Because you had fun!
Now that you are an adult, there is no reason why you shouldn’t enjoy your workout. Whether you exercise with a personal trainer, in a spin class, or in a boot camp, there are plenty of great fitness activities that will keep you involved, challenged, and yes - motivated!
Ready to get off the couch and start moving? Call or email me today so we can put your newfound motivation to work!
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James Cipriani
Cutting Edge Personal Training
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