Five Ways to Pick Up the Exercise Habit Again

Each person is given only one body, for which they
must care their entire lives; yet, it is alarming that many
individuals fail to understand the serious importance of exercise in
their lives.  Some individuals, once committed to
exercise, have allowed life’s complications to push regular exercise
out of the picture and are looking for a way to get back on track.
This article is for you, as we discuss five highly enticing ways to
get back in the exercise habit once again.

Getting
Motivated

Life often gets
in the way when we’re making other plans. You were going to go to the
gym this morning, but your child caregiver was late, and now there’s
no time. You thought you’d make up for it this evening, but little
Johnny’s homework took much longer than you expected. You plan to get
in some treadmill time during lunch the next day, but your boss has
other ideas when he demands that report get finished a day
early.

This is how
motivation dies. And it’s completely understandable. Before you know
it, you haven’t worked out in a week, then two weeks, then two months,
then two years. So how can you get started
again?

The first step
is making… and sticking… to reasonable goals. Don’t plan to run a
marathon tomorrow if you haven’t exercised in a while. Plan to spend
10 or 15 minutes on the treadmill, or jogging in your neighborhood.
That’s enough for one day. And when you’ve started your exercising
habit with just one day, the next day will be easier. And the
next. When you see results, your motivation will feed
itself.

Tracking
Your Progress

The second step
to sticking with your program is tracking your progress. 
Success can be one of the biggest motivators, especially when
it comes to improving one’s life and health. Tracking success in
exercise should be much more than looking in the mirror. Part of the
point of starting with goals in mind is being able to objectively keep
track of your progression towards these goals. 
Keeping a daily journal of your workouts and proximity towards
goals will engender individuals a feeling of progress and visual
success.

Work
with a Coach

The third step
is bringing other committed individuals in on your exercise
habits.  By having an exercise coach
with your goals in mind, you not only make a commitment to
yourself, but to the other person as well.  In
addition, find people that have similar goals. A healthy level
of friendly competition between individuals can bring about some
unexpected and pleasant results. 

Avoid
Boredom

The fourth step
to keeping motivated is to avoid boredom by varying your routines and
your environment.  By trying new forms of exercise,
or simply adding onto existing forms of exercise, you can maximize
your enjoyment and your focus.  Also, having a
coach is a great way to relieve the personal boredom when exercising
alone. If you normally walk, consider bike riding instead. If you
normally play racquetball, try your hand at basketball. Not only will
you avoid boredom, but you’ll benefit different muscle
groups.

Setting
Small Goals to Get to the Big Goal

The fifth and
final step is to start slowly and build up your skill, strength and
overall fitness levels.  The looming thought of
having to implement a comprehensive exercise strategy is enough to
scare almost anyone away from working out again. 
By staring small, perhaps only 15-30 minutes at first, exercise
routines can become gradually easier and not viewed as a chore but
rather an enjoyable activity. If your overall goal is to lose 50
pounds, work on your routines and fitness level using the ‘1 pound’
rule. Every pound you lose is a celebration! Consider hanging a chart
on your wall, like the height charts parents keep when you’re small.
Number lines on the chart from one to 50, then cross out each line for
each pound you lose. This will help you visualize your progress and
keep you motivated to move forward. Little goals create big
accomplishments.