It is easy to start exercising, but it is much easier to quit. Although many people are aware of the benefits of exercising, many who start an exercise program will go back procrastinating after a few weeks or months or quit prematurely. This is because of several reasons --- starting from having a busy work schedule, to boring fitness routines, or having children to look after or to having no money for a gym membership...
Making excuses not to exercise and procrastinating is a common issue in our society and keeping yourself motivated to exercise is much more difficult. You may be one of those people who have trouble to understand the psychology behind how you get the motivation to workout regularly. Read on so you know some simple yet effective techniques to overcome procrastination and keep the motivation to workout.
Anti-procrastinating Strategies:
Make Exercising a Habit
Starting to exercise and to keep going is the hardest part. The key to keep the motivation to workout alive and to overcome procrastination is to make exercise a habit and make it as important part of your lifestyle. Setting schedule to workout and keeping it on a regular basis are some of the strategies to turn an exercise into a habit. Your body will eventually get accustomed to exercise and will tell you it's time to work out instead of you having to get of the sofa. You can also get help from a personal trainer so you can stick with your program particularly at the beginning when it is most difficult.
Once it becomes a habit, you are already motivated even without the help of anybody else and your watch telling you.
Set Manageable Time
Fitness experts suggest that setting a fixed, manageable time for exercise will motivate you to overcome procrastination. For instance, you can devote 30 minutes every day to exercise. Knowing that you can stop your workout after the set 30 minutes, most of the time resulted to gaining more momentum at the midst of the workout and you will be surprised that you have the urge to continue beyond the time you set.
Set a Fitness Calendar
Commit yourself for a period of time to ensure that the exercise will become a habit. For instance, commit for 30 days that you will regularly exercise. You may achieve the habit sooner, but don't allow yourself to give up if you don't. To keep your exercise program exciting and avoid procrastination and have the motivation to workout, have variation in your activities. You can do
Walking for the first week, Jogging on the next, Yoga on the following week, and so on. This way you will never burn out and you keep the motivation to workout alive.
Stick With It
To establish a habit to keep the motivation to workout, you have to do it on a regular basis. If you have set your goals, just stick with it no matter what. If you don't see impressive changes in your body right away, concentrate on the experience and the healthy benefits of your exercise. After starting an exercise program there is a chance that you miss a workout here and there, but don't get discouraged just let it go. Don't make this a reason to quit and loose your motivation to workout.
Motivational Tips:
Be Realistic
What are your reasons for wanting to exercise? What do you want to achieve? Set achievable goals and not those that you aim but can't keep. Setting goals that are too high, you are setting yourself for failure. You will get easily burned out and eventually turn into procrastinating again. If you have overworked your muscles and feel overly sore after you exercise it is recommended to start slow with smaller goals that you know you can achieve. Start working out on your own speed, and then gradually work your way up. For example, start walking a few blocks around your neighborhood and then increase your distance steadily each day. You can elevate your goal by joining a running event eventually. This technique will allow your muscles to adapt while achieving your realistic goal. It's better to feel great about small achievement than feel terrible about a big failure.
Make It Fun
Choose fitness routines that you enjoy most. Most people stop exercising because they got bored or they find the routine vigorous the first time. Find exercises that you consider being pleasurable rather than frustrating. For instance, you may want to workout outdoors rather than inside a gym, you can choose outdoor activities like cycling or jogging. You can also sign up for gym membership or enroll in a fitness class if you are an extrovert person. Being around with other people who have the motivation to workout, chances are you will also be pushed to follow through. You can also wear your weighed vest or other weighted clothes while doing your workout to make it even more intense yet exciting and challenging.
Bond With Family or Friends
Make your daily exercise a bonding time with your family and friends. Organize a group of friends or family members who can join you exercise twice or three times a week. There is no other way to be motivated to workout than to have a very good support group. By having a workout partner or group, you enjoy the activity itself much more and at the same time you are committing yourself to meet up with them. This way you are making yourself accountable to another person and vice versa. Thinking that there are other people who are counting on you and you have a commitment with them, it gives you extra drive to be motivated.
Doing exercises with others will also motivate you if you see their improvement.
Take Pictures
Take a picture of yourself before you start your exercise program then continue taking picture as you go along. This way, you can see your progress every day and you get motivated to workout with the images of a fit and attractive "you". You can display your picture side by side next to a fit and healthy person that motivates you. It can be an athlete, an actor or your own picture when you were more active and in your best shape. You can also write your goals next to your pictures as a reminder to keep going and exercise regularly.
Reward Yourself
To keep the motivation to workout and overcome procrastination, reward yourself especially when you are meeting the goals you have set. The reward can be a healthy snack, or group reward movie night with fitness buddies. You can also make a fitness jar where you can add a dollar every time you exercise. Another form of reward is saving for a weighted vest outfit or a new fitness tool.
Conduct an Exercise and Diet Journal
More great ways to stay healthy are simply keeping track of what you eat and your fitness goals. When you have a workout and food journal, you are more likely to keep your commitment and stick to eating right and exercising regularly.
How do you overcome procrastination and keep yourself motivated to workout? Please share your story with us and help others to create the right mindset and find motivation to workout regularly.
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