Exercising is not too much fun for most people out there, and many of us can be very creative when it comes to making up excuses for why we can’t do it. Yesterday you had too much housework to do, today you were out most of the day running errands, and as for tomorrow, well, I’m sure that you will wake up with a sore back, neck, leg, or whatever body part will keep you from working out! We can use these excuses, but if we keep ourselves from a regular exercise routine this way, we are keeping ourselves from better health and a longer life expectancy, not to mention bone and joint strength!
When you fin yourself coming up with excuse after lame excuse for not exercising, the only thing you are lacking is motivation. Don’t worry though; this is an easy problem to fix! There are plenty of things that you can do for yourself that should get you going and help you to keep up with a regular exercise routine.
The first thing you should do is write out a list of reasons why you want to workout. Some of these could include better health, living longer, seeing your grandchildren grow up, decreasing your risk of stroke, diabetes and heart disease, weight loss, and there are many other things that you could add to your list. Next, post this list somewhere that you will see it a few times a day, and it can remind you why you started exercising.
The next motivational thing you can do for yourself is to set some goals. You should have short term goals and long term goals. Short term goals could be things like working out 3 times next week, losing 2 lbs this week, or increasing the intensity of your workout. Long term goals could be weight loss, a marathon, or a anything else that you want to work towards. Again, you should post your goals somewhere in your house or car where you will be sure to see them.
Another method of motivation is a picture of what you would like to look like in the future – something to work towards. Some people like to take before and after pictures, while others prefer seeing a picture of their family to remind them of why they are committing to a regular exercise routine. A good alternative to the picture thing is an outfit that you would like to fit into when you have reached your long term goals. If you know the size you want to reach, go out and splurge on something that you know you will still want to wear a few months from now, and hang it in your room where it will be visible.
The last and maybe most important thing to do when trying to motivate yourself, is get some accountability. You can try hiring a personal trainer for a few weeks or months, or you can ask a friend to help keep you on track. A lot of people find it helpful to help each other with weight loss goals, so if you have a friend who wants to lose weight and start exercising regularly, you can keep one another motivated.