How To Get Motivated To Exercise

To exercise or not exercise, that is the question. Even though you always regret it when you don’t do it, and never regret it when you do, life has its way of sprouting up with all sorts of issues that need tending to and chip away at your well intentioned plans.

Today let’s chat about how to get motivated to exercise on even the toughest, most stressed out days.

Trick Yourself
It’s no secret that exercise is hugely important for health and a positive aging experience. In fact, aging doesn’t have to be something you get anxiety butterflies in your stomach about if you treat your body well proactively. Exercise lowers blood pressure, helps with bone density, lifts spirits and oh so much more.

Go here to watch a quick video about some great strategies for strengthening your desire to break a sweat.

Add Music – Preferably 130BPM or More
The music in our fitness classes is generally 130bpm (beats per minute) for a reason: fast music has been shown to significantly increase exertion during a workout. While you are chipping away at your Tabatas and AMRAPs, your body is working with the beat on autopilot and staying in its groove. Ever tried exercising without music? It’s a very different experience, and one you may not even notice from an exertion standpoint. 

Write It Out
Journaling is a powerful tool to understand your habits from a 30,000 foot view, versus in the thick of things day in and day out. Think of it like weight loss: when you view yourself every day, it can be hard to notice the subtle changes. Then, when you see someone from awhile ago and they say how great you look, you may be a little surprised.

Before a workout you may feel blah and even talk yourself into feeling mildly ill. After? We’d be shocked if you didn’t feel lighter, a little more clear and just plain better. Things to log in your exercise journal could include:
 
*How you feel before a workout and after. 
*Progress – more weight lifted, faster mile time, etc. 
*Inspirational quotes (for those especially tough days). 
*Your “why” – what keeps you motivated to stay consistent?

Get Social
As social beings we respond positively to social settings more than simply willpower. Willpower has its place and can definitely propel you toward success, but at our core we enjoy being social and sharing experiences with others.

Stay Active In Other Ways
Just because you can’t make it to the gym, doesn’t mean you throw in the towel and sit on the couch all day. There are plenty of ways to be active in your daily life! Even when you’re not “exercising” you can still find ways to move. Exercise doesn’t have to be strenuous everyday (in fact, rest days are uber important). What do you do for fun and in your daily life? Examples of good ways to move include:

*Gardening
*Walking
*Cleaning
*Mowing the lawn 
*Hiking (easier trails on rest days)
*Restorative yoga

Getting into a routine can feel like an uphill battle with no end in sight. We’re human just like you and we face the same battles. In fact, Christina just talked about that very topic over on our Facebook page. 

Here’s an excerpt from that post to motivate and inspire you:
“Understand that when you stick to it you will achieve breakthroughs you never thought possible [seriously]. Understand that there are probably people looking up to you and you may not even realize it (like your family). So on days it’s hard to get motivated, keep pushing for THEM. And guess what? They’re not concerned with your perfection, they are IMPRESSED by your strength. And you should be, too. Be IMPRESSED by your will to press on even when you feel like you took two steps back. That just means you have an opportunity for a RE-DO which means even more wisdom to collect!”

Until Next Time, 

Sham & Christina
Inspired Wellness

We are a wellness movement aimed at cultivating greatness in all areas of life. We believe that everything is connected and that having the body of your dreams shouldn’t come at the price of your mental and emotional health. You CAN have it all; you just need some determination, grit and the desire to truly change your life!

Catch us locally in sunny Sacramento CA inspiring lives at our wellness center with fitness, nutrition and lifestyle programs, or online doing the same thing with our new online training site + community coming soon!

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