How many times have we all told ourselves that we will start our exercise routine on Monday, only to postpone it for the next day? Most of us are aware that exercise is a vital part of maintaining a healthy, fit, and happy lifestyle. The trick is not only getting started, but then making it a routine, and better yet, a lifestyle. Try out some of the steps below and make exercise a part of your routine any day of the week, not just Mondays.
MAKE YOU A PRIORITY
Why do you want to exercise? Is it to lose weight, get healthy, be strong, and live a happier life? These are all great reasons. Fitting exercise into your day and staying true to a regular work-out means that you are making yourself a priority. Be honest with yourself and find out the reasons why you want to do it. There may be deeper reasons that go beyond those stated above. Take the time to find them, and it will make sticking to your exercise routine easier.
WHAT IS YOUR EXERCISE STYLE?
Everyone has their own individual exercise style. Some prefer dance, others swimming, biking, weight-lifting, walking, yoga, or jogging. What types of exercise are you naturally drawn to? You may want to try out some classes or videos to see what feels right. Despite common perception, exercise is not torture, and by finding your exercise style, you may even find it enjoyable.
SET MEASURABLE GOALS
Now that you have figured out why you want to exercise and what types you enjoy, it's time to set measurable, realistic, and healthy goals. Weight can be a tricky goal to measure, since the scale fluctuates on a regular basis for a variety of reasons - such as water. Muscle also weighs more than fat, and may fool you into believing that you are not losing weight. This can lead to frustration. Depending upon your purpose for starting an exercise routine, you may want to aim for a specific dress size or the ability to compete in a marathon. Another great goal is feeling healthy!
After you've determined your goal, set a timeline. Be realistic. One dress size may take a couple of months to reach. Running a marathon can take six to seven months of training. Feeling healthier may start after a couple of days and will only improve as you continue.
How will you measure progress toward your goal? For a goal such as running a marathon, measure distance and time, building from week to week. For goals such as weight loss and muscle gain, there are two more reliable methods for measurement than the scale: 1) Ask a friend to measure the circumference of your arms, waist, and leg once a week with a tape measure. Write down the results each time, and be sure to measure in the exact same spot every week to get true results. 2) Ask someone to photograph you - front and back - and compare the pictures. Ideally, you will photograph before you begin, and then at different intervals along the way until you reach your goal. As the saying goes, a picture is worth a thousand words.
MINI-GOALS AND REWARDS
Establish mini-goals along the way, such as lose one inch in one month, and reward yourself once you've reached your mini-goal. This will keep your incentive in check, and also remind you of why you started exercising. Be sure to set an ultimate reward for when you've reached your final goal!
VISUALIZE AND FIND INSPIRATION
Find a quiet place, close your eyes, take a few deep breaths, and visualize yourself exercising. How will you will look and feel once you've reached your exercise goal? After you've captured that image, visualize your lifestyle. What are you doing? How does it feel? Stay with the image of your new lifestyle as long as you can. Return to this wonderful image and feeling anytime you doubt whether you should exercise.
Feeling inspired may be the most important component to keeping an exercise routine. What inspires you? What makes you get out of bed and go for a jog, swim, bike ride, or walk? Why are you doing this? It's quite simple: You are making you a priority. And when inspiration is hard to find, just put on those sneakers and get moving. You'll be happy you did once you're done.