Secrets For Staying Motivated To Exercise

The benefits of regular exercise are endless-it can improve your health, increase your energy, make you look and feel better, and can help you age more healthfully.  Unfortunately, the list of excuses not to do it are almost as long-you're too busy, you don't have the time, it's too cold outside, it's too hot outside, your knees hurt, or you'll get sweaty, and so on. 

 You know you should exercise, but it seems nearly impossible to get started, and once you start, it's even harder to make it a regular part of your life.  The following are some tips and ideas if you're finding yourself with more than your share of excuses as to why you shouldn't get out there and move your body.

 1)  Find a partner.  A fun part of being active is doing it with a friend, family member, or someone who shares your enthusiasm for your sport.  If you know that your friend is waiting for you at the corner, it's a lot harder to decide not to go for your daily walk.

 2)  Set goals.  Goals can be great incentives to begin or continue with your exercise program.  Your goals should be measurable, like staying with your program for a set period of time, reaching a level of skill, or participating in an event in your activity.

 3)  Make a contract with yourself.  Some people find that writing down their plan makes it more concrete.  You may want to write a contract with yourself outlining how you plan to be physically active, and post it somewhere that you'll see it everyday-on your bathroom mirror or refrigerator, for example.  Your contract is a commitment that you're making to yourself to become and stay physically active.

 4)  Reward yourself.  When you're feeling sluggish or after you have achieved a goal, give yourself a reward for doing your workout or having stuck with your plan.  Try to avoid food rewards.  Instead try a massage, manicure, a long hot bath, a new piece of sports clothing, or whatever works as a reward for you.

 5)  Set up a home fitness center.  This can be as simple as a few exercise CD's and a mat, some hand weights, or an exercise bike.  The convenience of a home fitness center will help you fit your exercise into your busy day.  When your schedule doesn't allow for you to spend a lot of time exercising, 20 minutes in your basement with a yoga CD may be just what you need.

 6)  Try something new.  If your workouts are feeling stale, try a new activity, take a different class, find a new walking path, or take your workout outside of your health club.  Also, you can rent just about any piece of sporting equipment imaginable, so if you've always wanted to try kayaking or snowshoeing, it's easy to give it a try.

 7)  Build fitness into other areas of your life.  If you're struggling to find the time or motivation to exercise, look for creative ways to turn your everyday activities into exercise.  For example, ride your bike to the store, turn walking the dog into an aerobic event, shovel some snow, or get your garden in shape.

 8)  Have fun.  Ultimately, whatever activities you choose must be fun if you want to continue to do them for any period of time.  Whether you use your exercise time to walk with a friend, explore your neighborhood by bike, try some new dance moves, or get reacquainted with your old hula-hoop, the key to staying with it is that you're having fun.

 Whatever strategies you try, remember two things:  exercise is really good for you, and yes, you really will feel better after you've exercised.