Keeping track of your diet and what you eat can be a helpful trick to motivate yourself to exercise. According to Kaiser Permanente’s Center For Health Research’s recent study, dieters keeping a journal have lost twice the weight as those keeping no records. Keeping a diary makes you more responsible for how you treat your body.
However, sticking to a fitness schedule differs from sticking to a healthy eating routine. There are some basic tips that people can follow to stay motivated and inspired to exercise.
Change Your Perspective
Change your thoughts about being a couch potato to thinking of having an athlete mentality. Although this may sound like a bit of a big challenge, it is not as big as you may think. Think of exercises as a blessing instead of a sacrifice. You can also find inspiration from others and look outward for motivation.
Take inspiration from every individual you meet, even people who cannot be physically active. How so? You can consider yourself lucky and feel blessed doing exercise.
Set Realistic Goals and Expectations
It is an easy task to start an exercise program with high hopes of immediate results. However, that is not necessarily how it works. Setting too high expectations can make it easy to lose motivation when reality sets in. Begin your workout commitment by setting realistic goals. These may include SMART goals, which means:
- Specific
- Measurable
- Attainable
- Relevant
- Time-bound
For instance, if you want to lose weight, it can be easy to get demotivated. It is so because you do not have a plan for how exactly you can achieve that goal. You may also lose motivation if you do not have a point of reference for what success will look like.
A SMART goal for weight loss can be something like, “I’ll improve my average step count from 5000 steps to 6000 steps per day for the next three months.”
Set a Regular Workout Time
The most committed exercisers do workouts on a daily basis. They schedule it before the sun rises or late at night when they are free from everything. Have your weekly schedule before your sight and try to adjust an hour every day to be good for your health.
If you think you can fit in time for a workout after long meetings, putting your kids to bed, or after your spouse comes home, failure is certain. There are higher chances that there will be last-minute interference. Mention your workout time on your calendar and rearrange things around this hour.
Consider your workout time as a very important appointment you have to meet. You can also use technologies like workout journaling websites, daily reminders, and apps to keep you on task.
Think Fun and Variety
It is human nature that wants change and variety to remain motivated. Every individual needs to have fun even while we are working hard. Include activities in your routine that you truly enjoy and look forward to doing. It will help you to forget you are working out like hula hooping, dancing, or playing sports with friends or family.
Having variety in workouts also challenges your body. It allows it to introduce you to a new group of muscles you did not even know you had.
Keep In Mind Your Purpose
Kristie Tse, Founder at Uncover Mental Health Counseling, said, “Keeping up with the exercise plan is tough work. Knowing your purpose in exercising may keep you motivated to reach your goals. Your thoughts on why you are doing this and your purpose can make a difference. Some individuals work out because they are encouraged by something outside of themselves or extrinsic. Maybe they want to fit into their favorite pair of jeans again or train for a half marathon.
Other individuals begin with what is called intrinsic motivation. This may imply they have a purpose to work out that comes from within themselves. Such people exercise because it makes them feel good or because they know it is good for their health and body.”
Get Connected with Others for Support
Many people tend to have trouble reaching out for help. Yet, if you want to stick to a fitness schedule, you must attain encouragement from others. For others, it is finding a friend with a shared enthusiasm. It helps them to have a partner to plan scheduled workouts, such as running together. It is easier to press the snooze button when it is just you. But it is much harder to leave a partner waiting at the track.
You can join an online community or social networking site with nutrition experts and fitness trainers. These connections will help you get support from other individuals with the same goals, such as weight loss. Plus, they may also be trying to maintain healthy eating and exercise routines. People getting this online support have higher chances of losing weight than people going alone. It is so because of the regular fitness motivation they receive from others.
Furthermore, persuading your workplace to provide on-site fitness, Pilates classes, or yoga will also assist your mission of achieving a healthy lifestyle. You can work out with your colleagues whenever you need a break and stay motivated.
Make Sure to Rest
We live in a world where it seems like you should not rest much. However, it is essential for our body to take rest. It helps the muscles that have broken down while exercising to repair. Change your perspective around rest days. It will help you to conitnue your fitness motivation.
You may get a demoralizing thought telling you to go for a run even on your rest day. But remind yourself that taking a walk and stretching is essential to your workout recovery. It is as important to take a rest on recovery days as doing work out on exercise days.
Stick to the Basics
If you are a beginner, do not be tempted by the flashiest, newest fitness class. It is better to establish a routine with simple cardio and strength training movements. These are both sustainable and accessible.
For instance, if you have never been someone who goes to the gym, it is probably unrealistic to go and hit the cardio room five days a week. It is likely too much of an interruption to your regular life to keep up with. It is possible that you may remain motivated for a short time period, but you are more likely to lose this motivation immediately.
Try to start small with exercises you enjoy and can more easily adjust to your day. These activities may be:
- Biking
- Walking
- Calisthenics, like lunges, planks, and squats
- A once-a-week exercise class such as Pilates or yoga
Once you have established a strong base, you can slowly add on additional activities if that is what you want.
Conclusion
Start thinking of yourself as not a spectator or an athlete. Find a friend, set a realistic goal, and mark it on your calendar. Try to have some fun with your workout schedule. You will be setting yourself up for a lifetime of better body and health. With the workout habit, you can have more energy and happiness for everything else in your life. Think of more ways you can remain motivated for exercise.
Keeping up with the exercise schedule can be a complicated task. Follow easy tips to remain motivated and have long-term better health.