Total Exercise (Mind, Body, Soul)

Exercise Motivation - Staying Committed

Exercise motivation - do you have it? Newspapers, television, magazines and even the back of your cereal boxes are filled with all the reasons why you need to stay committed to fitness. Exercise - you know it is important, you even know you should do it, but some how you always fall short. You have the correct program, you know how to do the exercises and you have the equipment you need. What’s missing? The most vital part of the program - your motivation. Why is it so hard to stay motivated, to consistently keep a fitness program going? Most people do not stick with the program long enough for it to become a habit. With a few of the following tips and the right exercise motivation you can be exercising with the best of them.

First and foremost, why are you exercising? If you are only doing it because you were told to, you probably will not succeed. Most things we do have a purpose. We eat because we are hungry, we work to make money and so forth. You need to first develop a strong reason for why you exercise.
Set both short term and long term goals for yourself. The long term goals are what you are striving for down the road. The short term goals are set to help you get there.
Make sure you enjoy what you are doing. The program you use plays a big part in motivation. If you do not enjoy using dumbbells do not participate in a dumbbell training program. You are more likely to stay committed to something you enjoy doing.
If you get bored with things quickly it is OK to change your activities or programs weekly. Just make sure they still meet your exercise goals.
Try to workout with a partner they keep you motivated and help keep you company at the same time.
Music can be great exercise motivation, download your favorite tunes onto an mp3 player and get moving.
Try something new. Buy a new piece of equipment or exercise video. You could try a group exercise class at a local gym.
Do you like your training environment? Going down into a musty dark basement to exercise would most likely not provide a lot of inspiration. Find some place you enjoy being and take your exercise with you.
Try to avoid the “all or nothing principle”. Some days you may not be able to get your entire workout in. It is OK to do a small part of it. A common mistake people make, is they think because they do not have time to get their entire workout in they opt to do nothing. This will lead to a bad habit.
Hire a personal trainer. They will keep you motivated and accountable. Like it or not spending money on something helps make it more important which in turn will provide higher motivation.
Not sure you can write your own program? If you need to be held accountable without the high price of a personal trainer try an online personal training package. It is important to have a good support system in place. Not only should your family and friends support what you are doing they can join you. The days you lack exercise motivation you should be able to look to your family for added inspiration. Remember the “all or none principle” the same rules apply with the above exercise motivation tips. Do not try to add every one of them at once. Pick one or two and try to perfect them before adding more.
Karen Skidmore, author, NATA certified Athletic Trainer and NCSF certified Personal Trainer owns and operates the Completely Fit Personal Training Company. Visit http://www.completely-fit.com/ for more information. For more great articles visit http://www.lifetime-fitness-routines.com