Keeping Exercise Fun
1. Change your routine often.
Keeping your routine fresh and new will keep you interested in the workout and on track with your goals. No one likes to go into the gym day after day and week after week and do the same things over and over. The definition of insanity is doing the same things over and over and expecting different results.
Not only will changing your routine keep you fresh and excited, but it keeps you muscles guessing, burning and toning. Our bodies have a threshold where your muscles will decide that they have been doing the same things over and over and now they can sit back and relax because they are use to the movement and the weight. Keep those muscles guessing and keep the metabolism burning.
2. Find the things that you like to do and do them.
If you like to run, then run. If you like to do dumbbell exercises, then do those. It is important to find the types of exercises you like and continue those types of exercises. If you are continually doing exercises that you don’t enjoy, guess what, you will give up. You will have the gym, or your house, or wherever you are doing the exercise. Remember, being happy is a part of your healthy lifestyle. Sometimes you have to push yourself and do some things that you don’t necessarily like to do, but I believe that if you really, truly, want to change, then you must find the things that make you happy.
Don’t go into an exercise with a negative attitude though. Give every exercise a change, at least a month, before you decide it’s not right for you.
3. Do outdoor activities.
There is something about being outdoors and exercise that makes it a little more enjoyable. Go for a hike, take a walk, play a sport, go swimming, or play with your kids. It’s a sneaky way to get in some fat burning exercise without really caring about it.
4. Workout with friends.
Have you ever noticed that if you go for a walk by yourself it can sometimes seem like its taking a long time to accomplish. But when you walk with a friend, you talk and laugh the whole time that your mind doesn’t even realize how far your body has gone. This is the mind over matter technique also works with listening to music and thinking about solutions to problems or what your next vacation is going to be like. Keep the mind on something else, besides how much your thighs are burning.
5. Join a group.
Joining a sports group, like ones that you find on meetup.com or with a professionals group also lets your body know that it is doing something fun and entertaining, while burning some unwanted calories. Playing with a football, kickball, volleyball or softball group are easy ways to get in that extra cardio, and a little fun.
6. Keeping Nutrition Fun
Look for new and exciting recipes that are good for you. Learning a new way to make food that is different and unique is always a great motivator for me. I love it when someone comes over to my house to eat, loves the food, and then finds out that I didn’t use butter on everything.
Teaching others around you what you are learning is also fun. People want to be healthy and love to know new ways to get the foods they love, without the nasty ingredients and calories. Telling people that you made chicken and pasta that was better for you and with less calories will keep them asking questions and keep you wanting to learn more.
Have a cheat day!
Don’t try to punish yourself all the time. You will fail. It makes it easier to pass up the burger and fries at lunch on Tuesday when you tell yourself that you can have them on your cheat day if you still really want them. My husband and I have 1 cheat day (and it’s usually just a cheat meal) a week. It’s like a reward for all the hard work you put in.
DON’T GO CRAZY!!!!! This doesn’t mean you get to sit down at the table and have all the fried chicken and butter you want. You want to still maintain some level of sacrifice. Don’t undo all the hard work and sacrifice from the week before.
Dr Tonya Ingalls, D.C.
Tags: exercise, motivation, tips, workout
Categories : How To Live
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