Regular physical activity is vital when it comes to keeping healthy, but actually getting yourself onto the exercise bandwagon can often seem daunting. While it may take some time to really get into the groove of exercising each day, following each of these tips will make you much more likely to succeed.
Ease Your Body In Slowly
Coming up with a new, complex workout routine can often be intimidating, especially if this is something that you, and your body, are not used to. For this reason, you need to slowly ease your body into working out, opting for an easy to moderate workout for the first few sessions. Whether you attend a yoga class or head off on a brisk walk each evening, beginning gradually means that your body, and its strength and endurance levels, are going to have enough time to adjust.
Fitness Dates with Friends
It is all-too-easy to make an excuse right before a workout and skip it altogether, but, if you have made plans to workout with a friend, you are much more likely to stick to it. Not only does working out with a friend make you more accountable to your schedule and your goals, but it will also motivate you to keep going, and make the whole experience so much more fun.
Invest in New Workout Gear
New clothes and toys are always fun, and give you yet another reason to get onto the exercise bandwagon. Whether you purchase a workout outfit that you love, or a couple of gadgets, such as a step-counter and some new earphones for music, each of these items will make working out that much easier.
Reward Yourself
The best way to keep yourself motivated when it comes to a long-term workout routine is by setting up rewards for yourself at different intervals. For example, commit to buying yourself a small gift after your first week of regular workouts, or schedule in a pamper day for after you have accomplished a certain number of high-intensity workouts.
Be Kind to Yourself
Studies have shown that having a certain amount of self-compassion will make you far more likely to succeed at any given task, including getting onto the exercise bandwagon. Rather than criticizing yourself about your body, weight, fitness level of willpower, use your past mistakes as an opportunity to reflect, improve and grow as a person. Having overly high expectations will also just lead to frustration, so rather than obsessing over results, place an emphasis on consistency and regularity, as this will also help with visible physical improvements over time.
For the average adult, exercising moderately for about 150 minutes a week is recommended, and even if you do not have time for long workouts each day, multiple tenminute sessions can be just as beneficial, and are much easier to squeeze into your schedule. While you may think that you need to work your body up to high-intensity workouts after a while, moderate levels of activity are enough to make huge positive changes within your body, so stay on track with what you feel comfortable with, as well as what you find enjoyable.
