Isn’t it the easiest thing to talk yourself out of exercising! Even when your intentions are strong you hear that little voice in your head say “I’m too tired”, I’m too stressed”, or “the weather isn’t great” – you know what I mean.
This is truly something I have struggled with myself over the years – work and being too busy have always been my go to excuses. BUT no more I decided. I have just started a 21 day challenge with Les Mills, and have set myself up to totally succeed and win! This is just the start and I have ongoing tools and tricks to keep me going. What are the secrets? Keep reading……
The right attitude and a few tricks and tools can help you stay in the game and be committed to energising that beautiful body of yours.
Do it for the right reasons – do it for yourself, you have to find that inner motivation and drive and desire or it won’t be sustainable. Driven by external things – comparisons to friends, look good for a school reunion, someone told me to do it etc won’t have the long-term motivation factor. So figure it out – love yourself enough that you want to have great health, treat your body as you would a performance car – good fuel, balanced weight, keep it in check, polish it, love it and take it for a blast everyday.
- Take it in chunks – if you haven’t exercised much or are getting back into it after a break, take it in baby steps. Don’t try and do a 10Km run on day one and be disappointed in your performance. This is a great way to set yourself up for failure.
- Mix it up – make your exercise fun and interesting. A mix of different types of exercise or times or exertion are all good too. Keep it interesting. To do this though make a plan.
- Make a plan – schedule your exercise in your diary for the week to come. Make the time slot! That way it’s in your diary and respect it as you would any other work or important appointment. Keep it to 45 minutes, still effective but you won’t feel like it’s taking too much time.
Accountability – who will you get to support you, to engage with you on your exercise regime. Meet with a friend twice a week, do a challenge, have a milestone to reach by a certain date and put it out there to friends and family, but most of all be accountable to yourself. Keep a chart in the kitchen and put the dates of every workout. The fridge is a good place to keep it!
There are many great reasons to exercise – improving energy, mood, sleep, general health, reduce anxiety, stress reduction and depression, longevity in life! And remember instead of obsessing over results focus on consistency. The improvements you’ll feel in mood and energy levels will happen quickly, the physical changes will come in time.
