How To Get And Stay Motivated To Exercise

Physical activity is necessary for everyone and there is no person who doesn't feel good after exercising, but the biggest problem is how to start.

Many people would like to exercise regularly, but they lack motivation.

I'm sure you said at least once in your life that you are going to exercise next week and it never happened.

There is no motivation, but excuses are easy to find:

• You don't have time to exercise
• It's cold and rainy outside
• Work is exhausting you
• Netflix released a new TV Show and so on.

Every new day is another chance to change your life. It is always the right time to start exercising.

WHAT IS MOTIVATION?

Motivation is a process that initiates, guides and maintains goal-oriented behaviors.

The term motivation describes why a person does something. It can be anything that causes you to take an action in order to achieve a goal.

In short, motivation causes you to act in a way closer to your goals.

According to pyschologists there are two main types of motivation:

• Extrinsic motivation - a type of motivation maintained by some external reward, for example looking good or losing extra weight as a result of training.
• Intrinsic motivation - a type of motivation that is sustained by the general satisfaction of doing the activity itself, for example exercising because it feels good.

WHY EXERCISE?

A lot of people start exercising to lose extra weight or to shape their body and look better.

But what are the real benefits of exercise?

Everyone can benefit from physical activity. People who exercise on a regular basis have improved health status, mental well-being and quality of life.

Regular exercise and physical activity may:

1. Strenghten your bones and muscles. As you age, bones become more fragile and muscle mass weakens, which can increase the risk of injury. Regular physical activity is essential to minimize this risk and to maintain strenght in old age. Doing muscle-strenghtening activities can help you increase or maintain your muscle mass and strenght.
2. Improve your memory and brain function. It has been proven that regular exercise has a positive effect on brain function and improves memory and other cognitive functions. Exercise can improve brain function and protect memory and thinking skills.
3. Reduce your risk of heart diseases. Exercising increases your heart rate, which promotes the flow of blood and oxygen to your brain. It strenghtens your heart and improves your circulation.
4. Improve your sleep. Exercising requires you to expand energy and it makes you feel more tired at the end of the day, so you can fall asleep faster. Physical activity improves sleep quality and increases sleep duration.
5. Improve your mood. Physical activity stimulates various brain chemicals that can make you feel happier, more relaxed and less anxious.
6. Improve skin health. By increasing blood flow, exercise helps nourish skin cells and keep them vital.

Here are 5 strategies to increase your motivation to exercise.

1. SET GOALS

Setting simple and realistic goals is the key to finding motivation. Many people set the wrong goals - ones that are too ambitious or unrealistic. It's easy to give up if your goals are too ambitious.

You will see more and better results when you start with an achievable and specific goal, as opposed to simply exercising without a plan.

The benefits of setting goals include greater focus, increased productivity, personal satisfaction and higher levels of motivation.

Commit yourself to working towards your goals and never give up.

2. TRACK YOUR PROGRESS

A great way to stay motivated is to regularly monitor your progress. Tracking progress can also help you figure out what is working for you and what isn't. If you don't track results, it's more likely that you don't see the progress.

There are numerous ways to track your workouts, from a simple notepad to multiple apps on your phone. Some people like to take photos of their bodies to see how it's changing.

If you see results and progress, you will be even more motivated and won't even think about giving up.

3. REWARD YOURSELF

A reward can sometimes be a very good motivation for exercise. Rewarding yourself can mean something different for each of us. To be effective, reward should be something satisfying for you.

Some ideas are to schedule a massage as a reward at the end of a week's worth of workouts, or once a month, you can reward yourself by buying new workout gear. Workout clothes have been shown to increase confidence and motivation to workout.

4. KEEP IT VARIED

Don't do the same workout all the time. In order to get closer to your goals, you will have to mix up your workout routine.

It's important to change up your workouts so you don't plateau. There are so many fitness options these days. You can go for a run, ride a bike, go to the gym, take Pilates or Yoga class.

This is a great way to make your workout routine more fun, so you will enjoy it and even look forward to your next training session.

Changing things up challenges your body and keeps you from getting bored.

5. THINK POSITIVE

You need to stop thinking about exercise as horrible and hard. If you keep telling yourself how much you hate to do it, your workout may suffer from your bad attitude.

Mindset is key to success and results. Studies show that by thinking positively, you will feel better and start to actually enjoy working out. Likewise, positive thoughts can improve your results and bring you closer to your goals.

If you have troubles with positive thinking, try writing about a positive exercise experience you have had and reading it as a motivating factor to get you up and moving.

IN CONCLUSION

Deciding to start working out is only the first step. For any result, regardless of whether it is about exercise or some other segment of life, motivation plays a crucial role.

You need to keep yourself motivated. Without motivation, you can't achieve anything. Motivation is a driving force that helps you focus on your goals.

Maintaining a high motivation level is important to helping you reach your goals. If you find it challenging to maintain motivation to workout, remind yourself of all the things you have accomplished and keep going. Be patient with yourself - it takes three to four months to form a workout habit.