Exercise is great for your health. It boosts your metabolism allowing you to burn more calories and fat. It also helps your body release hormones that improve brain function. It prevents and reduces depression. Exercise increases your longevity and improves your quality of life.
You would think with all these benefits, it would be easy to get and stay motivated to exercise. Sometimes it’s tough to get off the couch. Here are five tips and strategies to make exercise easier:
1. Find something fun. The truth is if exercise isn’t fun, you are probably not going to do it. Nobody wants to force themselves to do something they don’t enjoy. The good news is that there’s an easy fix. Do something fun. There are many activities that are both exercise and fun. Make a list of activities you enjoy. For example, do you like to dance, play football, box, swim, ride a bike or hike? These are all forms of exercise. Find something you love and make it part of your daily life.
2. Make it a group effort. It’s easier to get and stay motivated if you have others who are counting on you. If you and a few friends join a gym and go to the gym together, you can hold each other accountable. It’s a great way to get and stay motivated. You can celebrate each other’s successes as well as encourage each other.
3. Make it convenient and easy. Which is easier, driving to the gym thirty minutes away or running on a treadmill in your home? Many people are seriously pressed for time. They find it difficult to squeeze in a trip to the gym, which explains why home fitness equipment is such a popular market. Consider home fitness equipment, gaming systems like the Wii Fit or DVD fitness programs.
4. Track your success. It’s incredibly motivating to set goals for fitness. Tracking your fitness helps you see what you’ve accomplished. Walking and running with a goal of eventually running a 5K race is great motivation. Tracking how long you run each day will help you achieve that goal. You’ll be able to see what you’ve accomplished and how to plan for the future.
5. Vary your routine. It’s easy to get into an exercise rut. Simply changing your routine and your activity can prevent this from happening. Mix strength training activities with aerobic activities. Take walks. Take fitness classes from time to time, and learn a new sport or try a new fitness program to keep things fresh and interesting.
Exercise is great for you. There’s no reason it has to be difficult or boring. With a few simple steps, some creativity, and some advanced planning, you can get and stay motivated to work out.
