The best way to stay motivated to exercise is to become a swimsuit model. There's something about having a camera capturing every inch of your exposed flesh, then having that image reproduced for all the world to see, that makes working out more of a necessity rather than a luxury. Getting a paycheck based on maintaining a certain shape or size helps too.
Since most of us don't have the kind of job that motivates us in quite the same way, we have to work a little harder to keep the momentum flowing. The hard truth is, motivation isn't something you wait for and it isn't something that just happens when the time is right. It's something you have to work to find, not just today, but every day.
Wow, that sounded depressing, but I do have some ideas to help make the process easier in my article, 10 Ways to Stay Motivated. You'll also find some great ideas from our readers as well.
What about you? What keeps you going day after day? Do you find that what motivates you one day doesn't always work the next? Leave a comment and tell us your ideas for how to stay motivated to exercise.
This was very, good although, there were an awful, lot of links. I turn on my favorite motivating/work out CD (Skinny Songs by Heidi Roizen) and work out to that for a good half hour a few days a week. I also look at dusting and vaccuuming as working out so I’m taking care of chores and myself at the same time.
Try exercing evey other day, that gives the body a chance to recoperate and gives you aother chance to do your personal best.
A motivating thought that used to work for me is that when I exercise, my heart is stronger and that lowers my risks for heart attacks.
Another motivator is keeping track of my workouts on a calender so that I can see how I am doing and when I need to step it up.
Guilt follows, but I know that I will feel better after I get going.
Ahhh, the fresh air and beautiful flowers everywhere are also motivators.
Peace.
The “ten ways to stay motivated” are great ideas, and I’m learing it. But sometimes itnot always enough for me. I find that I can be successful if I have love ones and friends to support me in my goals. Without them, I’d be lost, or should I say lose interest/sight of my goals to look and feel like I did when I was teenager. They know me so well, I start something, then quit a few weeks later. My teenage children especially knows me well. They are the ones to tell me “don’t give up,mom…you’re doing so well” or “finish what you started, mom, no procrastinating”. They know how to push me and challenge me. My guiding angels, I feel so blessed to have them.
So, have someone to support you and help you keep sight of your goals, rather its losing weight, or getting in shape or quitting a nasty habit like smoking, can really be a blessing. I hope it works for you as it did for me.
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this may sound strange but food motivates me to exercise. By that I mean; if I do a good job on a run one day then I feel more inclined to eat healthy to maintain that excellent level of fitness then I continue to exercise and the cycle of motivation goes on
Staying motivated is definitely one of the biggest challenges of a fitness routine. Personally, I stay motivated by tracking my progress and taking note of the small changes in my body as I progress. Every small change is one more reason to have a protein shake instead of a cheeseburger, or to make sure I do every minute of cardio!
I needed to hear all of this today, thanks!
A friend suggested setting small goals and tracking them on a calendar with x’s. (He said this was from an article by Seinfeld) I tried this for 15 min of stretching each evening and 20 minutes of writing each day. And, I am feeling much more limber and more successful in my writing. I make an x on the calendar each day. Sometimes I do more and my x gets a third line or *. It is motivating to see my month of x’s!
What motivates me? It’s being 54, having had 5 children and having a body that still looks like that of a 30/40 yr. old. Yep, that’s motivation….Feeling & seeing muscle, as opposed to fat & cellulite…what more motivation is that? A Hard body is much more appealing at any age…being able to concentrate on the muscles you are working, feels good..
So, work hard at it and keep it up, so worth it by the time you reach my age…It’s certainly the “Fountain of Youth”. I’ve been a gym rat for 30+ yrs now and it’s like brushing my teeth every morning. Just remember those days when you have a hard time dragging yourself to the gym, how great you will feel physically & mentally when you leave…
Lifelong rewards from exercising….
GUILT, plain & simple.