rss

35

A Tip or Two for Motivation…


It is no secret that getting motivated to work out is sometimes as easy as threading a camel through the eye of a needle. We all have things going on: errands to run, dinners to cook; and fitting a workout into the schedule can be nearly impossible.

But if you find something that you enjoy and look forward to, it will be easier for you to make time for it. We all make time to eat; mostly because it is a fabulous pastime. But the other end of the spectrum is oftentimes harder to enjoy. By taking part in an exercise routine that you loathe, chances are slim that you will continue to do it.

What you are passionate about? Did you used to play a sport in your younger years? If so, try to fit some aspect of that into your workout. If baseball or softball was your game, swing a weighted bat. If you enjoy football, have a friend throw the ball to you as you sprint to catch it. Find a way to fit what you like into your workouts, and you will do more of them.

Advertisement

Another good thing to remember is that if you do the same routine over and over again, you are going to get bored. Chances are that you would not read the same book over and over again. You already know what is going to happen; there is no excitement. Try to mix it up and do something a little different each time you are working out. You will use different muscles and gain strength in different parts of your body. Plus, you will find that by doing various activities, your interest in being active will spike.

There are so many activities that you can do that will help you lose weight and get in shape. No matter what you enjoy doing, be creative and mold the pastime that you love into a fitness routine that will keep you slim, and keep you motivated.

About the Author

Elizabeth Perez is a freelance writer and blogger living in the Tampa Bay area. She holds a bachelor’s degree is mass communications from the University of South Florida St. Petersburg. Currently, she works for a non-profit where she writes press releases and web content. Follow her blog and see recent work at her website, WhosGotAPen.com.

Community Thoughts (35)

We encourage community interaction, actually we demand it! Add to the discussion, but please do not spam. Use your name in the name field, not a keyword. We have the right to delete comments we deem spammy. By submitting a comment you agree to the the full comment policy here.

  1. JeremyNo Gravatar says:

    Personally, I like to combine my love of technology with exercise. For example running with the Nike+ or working out with the Wii has provided some needed motivation. I think it all comes down to keeping things interesting.

  2. ZcelNo Gravatar says:

    Nice thought. Some are just lazy enough, playing any sport is the best one to motivate, just be sure you’re with your friends to enjoy more coz it will challenge you more that would also gain your motivation.

  3. Making workouts fun is very important. One can only go so long out of sheer determination. I used to not care about making workouts fun, but then I realised, how long am I planning on working out? 4 months or 40 years? If we want to make working out a part of our lives then it needs to be at least somewhat enjoyable!

  4. I totally agree. We are born with a natural desire to move and stretch. If you watch a child in a push chair they just never stay still – they are on the go all of the time. Their focus is upon the environment and they are curious to get out and discover things. Their exerice happens “by accident”. If you are curious about something or interested the exercise which takes you there becomes incidental and therefore easy. I play golf and walk several miles as a by-product of this passion (often more miles than intended!).

  5. Tom ParkerNo Gravatar says:

    Good post Elizabeth. I find one way to keep your motivation high is to have a core exercise routine (for me this is resistance training/weight training at the gym). When this core routine starts to get a bit boring (usually after 2 to 3 months) choose a different exercise (jogging and swimming are two of my favourites) and do this for a couple of weeks. Once this couple of weeks is over go back to the core routine again and repeat the process. I find exercising this way helps keep your workouts fresh and interesting.

  6. BetterBodyNo Gravatar says:

    Good tips, doing what you love is key to staying in shape. When it feels like a chore, you’re not going to do it.

    The best way to get motivated – if your goal is to diet and exercise to lose weight in a certain period of time – is to a) find a partner b) tell everyone you know about your goals c) put a before picture on the many weight loss forums out there. If that don’t get you responsible for your own actions, then nothing can help you.

  7. ChatNo Gravatar says:

    playing any sport is the best one to motivate, just be sure you’re with your friends to enjoy more coz it will challenge you more that would also gain your motivation

  8. I do some martial arts as part of my workouts. I’ve never understood doing workouts just to get into shape as they are stopped as soon as the goal is acheived.

  9. mikeNo Gravatar says:

    The great thing about fitness is that you can be fit your way! It doesn’t have to be a fancy gym to get you into shape it just takes desire. Doing something you like will make you do it more often.

  10. greg crynsNo Gravatar says:

    I had a problem with my foot for the last few months and I had to do something since I could not go to the gym as often.

    So, I bought a set of resistance tubes on the advice of my son. He’s had a six pack abs since he was born and is a supreme athlete with an advanced degree in the fitness area, so I tend to listen to his advice.

    Once a day I put the workout video into the DVD machine. I spend 1/2 hour following the lady on the video.

    Let me tell you. I’ve been doing this only one week and I lost 3 pounds! I’ve lost the desire to eat all of the time.

    Just get into it. When it’s time to do your exercise, you know you will be glad you finished the routine.

  11. Whatever you can do thats fun & gives you a great workout, is going to keep you interested and wanting more.

  12. ValerieNo Gravatar says:

    I actually tried to find products without HFCS one time at the grocery store – nearly impossible. You’ll be amazed as to how many things have that as an ingredient. One item, I went with a tiny little jar of organic jelly that cost almost $8. This past weekend at Sams, I gave up and bought two giant vats of jelly for $6.

  13. ChrisWNo Gravatar says:

    There are two types of goals…Reward Goals and Achievement Goals. Reward goals are what you give yourself for reaching your achievement goals. Your reward goals mixed with your early success in weight loss is what will fuel your motivation to push further.

  14. ChrisWNo Gravatar says:

    Visualization is worth looking into as well. Take a look on google to find some great books! Just take 20 mintues a day to visualize the day that you able to fit into that new pair of jeans etc.

  15. Free T ShirtsNo Gravatar says:

    I reduced my time at this gym this past week by not showering after working out when the work out wasn’t too sweat intensive. And I skipped taking the bad with the lock and the mp3 player and all that stuff I don’t really need cause the trip back to the locker is an extra 10 minutes.

  16. Mac OzetiNo Gravatar says:

    Playing any sport is the best one to motivate, just be sure you’re with your friends to enjoy more coz it will challenge you more that would also gain your motivation.

  17. guideasyNo Gravatar says:

    useful article,and playing any sport is the best one to motivate, just be sure we’re with our friends to enjoy more coz it will challenge we more that would also gain our motivation.

  18. ChatNo Gravatar says:

    Nice thought. Some are just lazy enough, playing any sport is the best one to motivate

  19. MarkNo Gravatar says:

    I agree with the sports argument, though I’ve never been into sports myself, especially watching them. A friend and I just took up disc golf, a little known but very enjoyable sport. It’s the challenge of golf with the fun of throwing a frisbee. Lately, since we’ve been playing for about 4 months now, I’ve gotten back into the gym to work out again, specifically focussing on those muscles needed for our sport. There is the idea of mastering a sport and enjoying the variety it has to offer that makes it so fun, I think.

  20. I am always motivated to work out. You just have to set some goals for your self.
    Thanks for this post very usefull

  21. Natural Do?aNo Gravatar says:

    The great thing about fitness is that you can be fit your way!

  22. MindbodygoalNo Gravatar says:

    When it comes to motivation to exercise, variety is definately the spice of life.

    In addition, there is nothing worse than working out with no goal or aim. I always suggest that specific long term and short term goals are set which help to focus the mind on what you are actually trying to achieve rather than working out for working outs sake.

    Be Well

  23. ShawnNo Gravatar says:

    Excellent tips. I usually don’t focus on fun because I am in the gym whenever I do workout. I have tried bringing in a partner to help motivate me, but that usually just annoys me or doesn’t allow me to focus on my workout.

  24. Great tips! just what i need! thanks for sharing.

  25. Awesome tips!! I find it interesting in todays world that the Wii fit has become the newest and greatest workout program. Many stay at home moms you use this. Anyone have any thoughts about this? Has anyone used the Wii fit for working out?

  26. ProfgameNo Gravatar says:

    Good tips, doing what you love is key to staying in shape. When it feels like a chore, you’re not going to do it.

  27. birlikNo Gravatar says:

    The great thing about fitness is that you can be fit your way!

  28. Yes! It’s become very boring for some people to work out daily and follow the gym regime.Initially they enjoy exercise but start getting bored with it after some time.So here in this post they can get a lot of tips for keep themselves motivated.

  29. Thats cool tips. Everybody need motivation to do something. So its always works. But some are always lazy 😉

  30. Great tips. I have also started workout due to some motivation in life. So its work for me 🙂

  31. siirtlilerNo Gravatar says:

    So, I bought a set of resistance tubes on the advice of my son. He’s had a six pack abs since he was born and is a supreme athlete with an advanced degree in the fitness area

  32. Good tips, doing what you love is key to staying in shape.

  33. matrimonyNo Gravatar says:

    great tips thanks for sharing.

  34. mesmNo Gravatar says:

    I struggle with motivation, I have to fill my head with images of where I want to be, who I want to be, and what I want to look like, and then I just go for it!

  35. Always have Positive Attitude then you will definitely get success.

Share Your Thoughts