We all know we need to exercise. Doctors tell us. Our scale tells us. Our mirror tells us. The problem is how to be motivated to exercise. Sometimes all the reasons in the world can't keep us moving. As we get older, it's easy to make excuses such as "I've never exercised, why start now?" "I just don't have time" or "Exercise is too difficult."
Health and fitness grow even more important as we get older. Following an exercise routine should become part of our healthy lifestyle, an important item in our daily schedule.
Here are some tips on exercise motivation.
1. Make exercise a priority. Decide on a time of day to take a class, watch an exercise video or take a walk and stick to it. Being healthier, sleeping better, living longer - these are all excellent motivations to exercise.
2. Do you have a health issue you'd like to improve, such as high blood pressure or cholesterol, arthritis pain or diabetes? Tape your last test results to the mirror so you can look at them each morning, vowing to do one thing today to improve the situation.
3. Weigh yourself daily - If you are sticking to your exercise routine, you should see some progress there to keep you motivated. If you'd like to lose weight, tape a "before" picture to your mirror.
4. Find an exercise buddy or fitness coach- We are all more accountable if we have an exercise buddy or a fitness coach to help us stay motivated. I joined Team Beach Body as an Independent Fitness Coach just so I could help others stay motivated. Beach Body has an excellent membership area where you can stay in touch with your own fitness coach, find work out buddies and get on forums to help support your fitness goals.
5. If you think exercise is too difficult, start slowly. Take a daily walk with your dog. Nobody can keep you motivated to exercise like your furry buddy who will learn the daily walk routine in just one day! It's about the only "trick" that it takes a dog only one day to learn.
6. If you feel too tired to exercise at the end of the day, try getting up 30 minutes early and doing an exercise video in the comfort of your own home. You'll start the day invigorated and your exercise time will be out of the way for the day. Sometimes, if we plan to exercise, the day slips by and we don't get it done. Doing an early morning workout solves the problem!
7. "Work Outs are Boring" - Do you think that? Make exercise fun by starting a new exercise routine or video work out. Sign up for a new class. Take a walk or get on the treadmill with your iPod. I listen to audio books when I walk and it makes the time fly by. I look forward to walking because it's my time to listen to my latest book.
8. Do you think fitness and workouts are expensive? Walking is totally free. Many senior centers or your local YMCA offer senior discounts and once you have your membership, the classes are included. You can also buy many workout video programs on Cd for less than $40. Each Beach Body work out program, for instance, contains many different workout routines so you can do different ones each day of the week.
To find great workout programs check out my Beach Body website and click on "Shop." If you'd like to join the Beach Body site as a member, you'll have access to your own coach, you get a 10% discounts on Beach Body exercise programs, a personalized menu plan to address whatever issues are important to you and lots of delicious recipes.
Start out with an exercise routine that's easy on your body, like yoga or simple stretching and then begin adding aerobics to strengthen your heart. Once you stick to your exercise routine for just 30 days, you'll look and feel so much better that exercise motivation won't be a problem anymore.
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