Exercise is a very important physical activity to enhance and maintain overall health. It has various advantages including, increased energy levels, enhanced mood, stimulated weight loss, and a reduced risk of diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. Performing physical exercises regularly produces positive, visible results in a person’s mood and motivation. But some people find it difficult to set themselves up for daily sports activities.
Therefore, it is important to learn how to genuinely enjoy exercise in order to maintain motivation for the long term. Motivation is the ability to induce oneself to action and maintain a positive attitude. That’s why it is necessary to focus on goals to achieve better results. If you don’t like running, and you don’t even know why you are out there trying to run in the first place, you are not likely to continue. Here are a few tips for increasing enjoyment and motivation in the area of exercise.
1. Set Realistic Goals
Start by setting an overall, top level goal or vision, and then break it down into smaller goals or “daily do’s.” If you aren’t training for something specific, and you just want to “get in better shape,” start by defining what that means for YOU, and then decide on the best way for you to achieve that (ex. 30 minutes of activity, at least 5 days per week).
Make sure you set feasible goals for your current level of fitness, and then as you improve, make sure to adjust those goals upwards. If you aren’t currently used to a regular exercise routine, all of a sudden deciding to run 3 miles a day is probably not feasible for you! Start with walking for 30 minutes, then add some running and walking, and slowly build up to running for the full 30 minutes. Marking your daily activities in a calendar will help you track your progress, and provide visual proof of your improvements.
Also, plan your week or month out ahead of time. If you don’t know what you want to do on any given day, it’s really easy to just give up and not do anything when you find yourself tired or unmotivated. But if you already know that Tuesday is yoga day, then the decision of what to do is already made for you, and you can concentrate your energy on just getting out the door!
2. Diversify your Workouts
Doing the same workout every day will cause boredom and complacency to set in, and you may lose your desire to workout. Diversity is necessary not only for motivation, but also for improving skills developing different types of muscle and coordination. If you lose the desire do your usual routine, look for suitable options for replacement. These options include walking for a few hours in the park, dancing, cycling, etc. Always experiment with new techniques and different exercises.
3. Exercise Consciously
Try to understand how to perform an exercise technically correct before joining the training. During practice, be aware of what that specific activity is meant to be doing for your body, and whether you are achieving the desired results. This will both prevent injury, and give you a goal on which to focus your attention, which will provide validation for why you need to keep going and keep working at it.
4. Do Exercises With Your Favorite Music
Create your own play list of your favorite, energetic songs to listen to while exercising. This will help elevate your mood, and train your mind to associate the activity with positive feelings, and motivate you to keep moving. This powerful strategy will allow you to give 100% while performing any fitness exercise.
5. Use Your Free Resources
If you don’t have money to take classes, buy equipment, or join a gym, you still have plenty of free options available to you. Walking, running, and hiking are the obvious choices for exercised that don’t require expensive equipment and memberships. But you can also turn to the internet for inspiration! There are all sorts of free instructional videos and workout plans available on YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram. Just type your interests into a search bar, and voila!
6. Find a Workout Partner
Finding another person to workout with will help motivate you and increase your accountability. Plus, the social aspect will provide one more factor of enjoyment for you to associate with the workout. When choosing a workout partner, always find someone who is more motivated and in better shape than you, because they will help push you to achieve more. If you pick your friend who also doesn’t enjoy working out, there’s a good chance you will convince each other that it’s ok to skip the workout today and go to coffee instead! Find a person who will provide encouragement and not let you back out of your daily plans.
7. Choose Group Classes
Group classes are a great way to motivate yourself. They enable you to feel the positive vibes from both the instructor and the other people in the class. They provide validation that you are doing the exercises correctly. And they are an easy source of commitment and motivation. Even if you don’t feel like working out today, but you can just get yourself out the door and to the class, chances are you will find your second wind once you see others around you doing the same. Motivating yourself with your environment will move you towards success.
Bottom Line
Now you have all these great tips to help motivate and engage you with your exercise. Remove the negative attitude towards fitness, and allow yourself to see exercise in a new positive light. And remember, if you have been training hard enough, the muscles may get sore and tired. Therefore, you should also give yourself a day of rest and recovery to allow your body to recuperate and recharge so you are ready to go again!
Tell us, what tricks to you like to use to keep up your exercise motivation?
