Ways to Motivate Yourself to Workout By Teena Baine If you are not use to working out, or it has been a long time since you last worked out, then it is easy to find excuses not to start! “ I can’t get up in the morning”, “I work late and I am tired when I come home at night”, “I just don’t like to work out”. There are many other excuses, but bottom line if you want to feel better and look better than adding some type of exercise is required. Here are some tips that will hopefully motivate you to start an exercise program. 1) Find something you like to do. Some people like to run, others like to walk. Don’t worry about what someone else wants to do, find what you like. Some examples are, swimming, dancing, cycling, rowing, climbing stairs or going for hikes. Anything that gets you off the couch and breaking a sweat is considered exercise. 2) Tell yourself you will work out for 10 minutes and see how you feel. There are days when we all don’t feel like working out but, for me, I tell myself, “I am just going to get on the treadmill for 10 min, or I am going to take my dog for a short walk.” Usually what happens is that I start feeling so good that I end up working out longer, usually doubling my time. It is amazing how good you feel when you work out. 3) Make it easy. Plan your workout, put your clothes in your gym bag, just go straight to the gym before or after work. If you don’t want to workout at the gym then have everything ready to work out at home. Have your clothes laid out so when you get home you put them right on. Have the DVD ready to start if you are doing a home video. If you remove the obstacles, and plan for it, more than likely it will work. And remember, you only have to work out for 10 min. 4) Mix it up. Don’t do the same thing every day. Rotate Cardio with weights. Do circuit or interval training one or two times a week. By mixing it up, not only are you tricking your body to change, you are not becoming bored with your workouts and you are more likely to actually do them. 5) Add music. I think having the right mix of music is essential to helping motivate you to workout. Music can take us places and lift our spirits and push us farther. Pick different music so you work harder with some songs and recover with others. 6) Do it with a friend. I know I can work out on my own, and there are many days I do that because it just works out to get it done, but I can tell you working out with someone has so many advantages. The camaraderie of working out together is fantastic. You are accountable to each other to get together because you know they are waiting on you. Your partner can push you to do a “few more” reps, that by yourself you might not do. So what is holding you back from getting off that couch and working out? I challenge you for the next 30 days to work out for 10 min most days and just see how you feel. I would love to hear from you about this. Find a partner and ask them to join in on this Fitness challenge, Just because. You will be more fit, feel better and probably lighter in 30 Days. What have you got to lose? You know you can find me at www.tenaybaine.com Or on facebook, www.facebook.com/tena.baine or www.facebook.com/tena4fitness Or my website www.beachbodycoach.com/tena4fitness
www.atlantaambition.com October 2012
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