Effective Motivations To Help You Exercise |
Posted: April 27, 2017 |
You've likely been telling yourself for years that you are going to start a regular fitness routine. This always sounds great in theory as you think about how you are going to all of a sudden get out there and get active. However, often days go by without a change. Things come up, you are tired, you have extra work to do, whatever it may be from keeping you from working out. If you really want to get moving, here are some tips to help you get motivated to workout. Reward Yourself You know your ultimate goal of better health is intangible. However, this does not help you create a "habit loop". According to NPR, habits are formed first by a cue, then by the routine, then by the reward. Getting the reward is what sends you back to the 'cue' phase. Making the benefits of working out into a tangible, instantaneous reward is more likely to make you want to keep doing it. So, rather than thinking of a far-off goal, consider treating yourself to a movie or an episode of a tv show after every workout. Sign a Contract with Yourself We can make mental promises to ourselves as much as we want, but research has shown that if you write something down or tell a friend, you are more likely to follow through with it. If you want to take this one step further, you can sign a contract that will give you some sort of penalty if you skip your workout. For example, tell a friend that you will pay them $5 for every workout you skip. If you do this, skipping a workout will make you lose out in some way, whether it’s monetary or the shame of telling friends you skipped your workout. Bribe Yourself Who doesn't love a good shopping trip? Go out and buy some new yoga shorts that you will be anxious to try out. This will help give you the push you need to get started with your routine, and then you will be comfortable once you are doing it. If workout clothes don't motivate you enough, go out and buy some clothes that you absolutely love that are too small for you. Every time you see them in your closet, you can think about what you need to do to lose those extra pounds and wear the clothes you love. Participate in Healthy Competitions Studies have shown that the primary motivator of working out is having a little friendly competition. This has been found to be even more motivating than having a social support group. Analysis of the data found in the study showed that team and individual competition equally drove people's motivations to work out. People are competitive by nature, so if you add that into the mix, it is a strong motivation to get moving. Sleep in Your Workout Clothes While this may sound weird, if your alarm goes off in the morning and you are already in your workout clothes, you are more likely to get out of bed and go exercise than you would be if you were in pajamas. Get all set the night before so in the morning you can just get up and go. You can even get your water bottle ready the night before and keep it in the refrigerator. The less thinking you have to do before actually getting out there and being active, the better. In conclusion, while it is so easy to think to yourself about your grand plans of starting a very solid exercise routine, it is likely to fall by the wayside unless you have concrete motivators getting you out there. Once you start working out and create a habit loop, you are more likely to keep it in your routine and let it become part of your weekly habits.
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