We all realize that we need to exercise, but there’s conflicting advice by the various experts on how much to workout or for how long. It becomes difficult to know who or which guidelines to follow. Do we exercise 20 minutes a day, 5 times a week, is that enough?
Then the question arises on what type of exercise we should be doing. One thing for certain is that we need some type of concentrated bodily movement for better health, this to keep our cardio, muscles, and our joints active and moving, which prolongs our lives.
Another issue for many is that exercising can be painful, boring, while being too time consuming, as it becomes difficult to prioritize finding the time into our already busy schedules.
So once you begin weighing the costs and the rewards what most will do is just opt out, procrastinate. As a result, that gym membership which you joined goes unused, and the longer that you put it off, the more difficult it becomes to getting yourself back into shape with a regular workout routine.
Knowing The Cost And The Rewards
Begin by rationalizing the cost-reward factors when evaluating what’s keeping you from starting, or getting back into a routine exercise program. Most will argue that they just can’t find the time.
But then think about the additional costs and the future impact it has on your health if you don’t. It’s known that those who exercise are less likely to develop chronic as well as acute illnesses as one ages.
Exercising is good preventative maintenance, as what you’re doing is cutting down on your sick days while increasing your life span. Those who exercise also feel a lot more invigorated with energy.
Although you may feel tired at the end of a busy work day, to re-energize yourself, consider stopping by at the gym, it’s guaranteed that your alertness levels will increase, placing you in a better mood.
Finding The Self Motivation
Find out what the triggers are which will help you get through your workout. In the long run, you’ll become internally driven which makes you want to exercise more, making it an inherent part of your daily life.
You’ll eventually begin to look forward to exercising once you begin embracing and feel empowered on the way that it makes you feel during and then afterwards.
For instance, perhaps you’ve always had poor balance or walked with a slouch. If you’re wanting to improve, you may discover that it’s not that difficult to do so, while you get bolder and better coordinated.
Exercising Because You Want To
The core driver to motivation is that you want to do so from within. This because of the you knowing that what exercising provides is better longer term health benefits.
If you work out just to please others, regardless of who they are, doing so only goes so far. You’re the only one who experiences how exercising makes you feel, and you’re the only one who’ll benefit from the feeling of competence.
The more that you begin believing that exercising is essential while you reach your personal goals, the less guilty or tempted you’ll be by the exterior forces which attempts to push you away from the gym.
Keeping Track Of Your Progress
What technology now offers is we being able to monitor almost every biological function in our body that’s imaginable. You can quantify each bite of food you eat for nutrient quality, along with measuring the effects of each step that you take.
While you’re sleeping, it’s possible to measure the exact percentage of deep sleep, while calculating the quality of your sleep based on the amount of caffeine that you drank during the day.
There are now sophisticated body monitoring devices such as smartphone apps which can monitor your exact vitals throughout the day. But avoid becoming completely obsessed with all this technology, as there are psychological reasons for taking your workouts to a more quantitative level.
You don’t need any of these devices, particularly if your goal is to just becoming fitter and stronger. The more that you graph your precise progress, the less control that you’ll have when needing to accomplish your goals.
Finding A Support Group Or Workout Partner
Most health experts will recommend that you find a support group or a workout partner. A social support fitness group is an excellent way of improving your motivation while coping better with stress.
Most will then be able to endure physical hardships provided that they have the support of like minded others, even if they don’t do anything themselves to help. The same principle applies towards weight loss groups.
Although it’s noted that intrinsic motivation is what ultimately keeps you going, joining a social support will get you through the tough times, this especially if you feel you’re not making any progress.
It’s been reported that most experience better motivation to exercise if their friends or partners do so as well, this particularly if they provide social support and the feeling they’re in it together.
Don’t Give In To Impulse
Most will fall to temptation once engaging in an activity, either mentally or physically, which can offset their self-control. Those who exercise will often have less self control and indulge in overeating or over drinking, thinking they’ve earned it, which will undo what they’ve accomplished.
You’ll need to become vigilant to fight off these tendencies. Even if you’re not wanting to lose weight, you’ll still need to protect yourself from overeating, which completely undermines your fitness goals.