Keeping Fit - How To Stay Motivated When Things Get Tough
No matter how fit you are there will always come a time when you are not in the mood to do your exercise routine
. This is most difficult for those who are not use to exercise and want to take it up. They feel that they want to get healthier and lose more weight. They begin with good intentions only to sabotage themselves by giving up and not following through on their fitness goals.
Below are 4 common excuses that we all tell ourselves to stay on the couch and solutions on how to overcome them.
Excuse: Im far too busy and have limited time
Solution: Even 15 minutes a day of exercise that makes you breathless can make a huge difference to your health. Make a point of getting up a little earlier in the morning. Write it in your dairy and make a commitment to do it. You do not have to set aside a specific time either. You can change your daily habits of walking to the shops rather than the car, use the stairs rather that the elevator.
Excuse: Its raining outside
Solution: There is one thing you can expect from the weather and that is it will never stay the same. Therefore, plan ahead. If you cannot get outside for your daily run then go to the gym or buy treadmill for the home. If you have stairs then walk up and down them for 5 minute sessions and spread them out during the day. Be prepared for the changing seasons for example, when winter arrives your opportunity to exercise outside may become limited. Therefore write, down a winter exercise plan where you can identify the best places to exercise during the colder months.
Excuse: I am too tired, I have no energy?
Solution: This could mean you are not exercising enough or you are exercising at the wrong time. Many people enjoy doing a workout in the morning because it wakes them up and it gets it out of the way so you can focus on the rest of the day. If you work for long hours in front of a computer screen then take 30 minutes to go for a brisk walk outside in the fresh air. This will get the blood pumping through the body and your lungs filling up with oxygen which will help to give you an energy boost.
Excuse: Im bored of my exercise routine
Solution: if you are bored of doing the same old routine then add variety to it. This is also better for your body if you do more variety of exercises. For example, mix the exercise routines during different days of the week, for example do a run on Monday and then weight training on Tuesday.