How To Stick To Exercise

Whilst a lot of people start exercising, far more people quit than do the people who continue exercising for the long term.

In this article, you will learn some quick tips on how you can stay motivated when you start exercising and not give up after a few weeks.

Break up Exercise Sessions

If you have a very busy schedule you may not be able to take 30 minutes or an hour out of your day to exercise.

However this doesn’t mean you can’t exercise because by breaking your exercise session down into smaller segments, such as 15 minutes or 20 minutes, you can fit exercise into your day when you have the time to do so.

15 minutes in the morning, 15 minutes in the afternoon and 15 minutes in the evening will give you a total workout of 45 minutes each day. This is something anyone should be able to do no matter how busy their schedule is.

Start Exercising Slowly

Any exercise routine should start off slowly because if you rush into things you are likely to burn yourself out and not enjoy what you are doing.

So if you are new to exercising or are out of shape, start off by taking short walks as this will help to give your lungs, heart and muscles a gradual and gentle workout.

Alternatively, try riding a bike instead of taking a car as this will also serve to give you the same benefits.

Don’t Expect Immediate Results

One of the biggest mistakes people make about exercise is thinking that they will get instant benefits from it.

They think that their fitness levels will drastically improve over a few days, or that the shape of their body will change within a few weeks.

When they don’t get the results they hoped for, they become disappointed, demotivated and so give up exercising altogether.

The important thing to remember when setting out to exercise is that change will take time for you to notice it.

Generally, you should see some results after the first month, but it will take at least 3 to 6 months for you really notice any positive changes.

So any exercise or fitness plan should be viewed from a long rather than short-term perspective.

However this isn’t to say that you won’t notice any benefit at all when you start exercising, because within a few weeks you should notice increased energy levels, less stress and improved mood.

Make sure you keep a note of these benefits, because they will help to keep you motivated

Reward Yourself For Exercising

One of the best ways to keep yourself motivated when exercising is to use rewards. For example, if you manage to exercise for three days a week, by giving yourself a reward you will be much more likely to do it again the next week.

However, make sure your rewards are not food based otherwise you may develop the unhealthy habit of emotional eating. Instead go out with some friends or buy yourself some new clothes.

Whatever you do make sure that you enjoy doing it, because in order for a reward to be effective you must enjoy it.

Find Exercise That Motivates You

Whilst there are lots of different types of exercise you can do, there are probably certain types that you enjoy the most.

So start with the exercise you most enjoy doing, because if you do exercise you don’t enjoy you simply won’t be motivated to keep up.

For example, if you absolutely hate running then don’t run, instead do something else like walking or swimming.

Over time as your fitness increases and you develop the habit of regular exercise, then you can experiment doing different things.

Dress up for Exercise

Have a set of clothes that you use to exercise in, and even if you don’t feel like exercising by putting on those clothes you will feel like doing something.

Visualise Whilst Exercising

When you exercise think about what goals you are trying to achieve, as this will help to increase your motivation and keep you focused on your exercise goals.

Find An Exercise Buddy

An excellent way to keep exercising for the long term is to find a friend to exercise with.

If you are both starting out at the same level of fitness and have similar goals, then by exercising together you will be able to motivate each other to keep going.

Add Some Variety to Your Workout Routine

If you are exercising every day of the week, week in week out, eventually your exercise routine might start to get a little boring.

To avoid this happening try to add some variety to your workout routine, by incorporating different types of exercise into your fitness plan.

Exercise 30 Minutes Every Day

It is generally recommended that you exercise 30 minutes every day, however this doesn’t necessarily have to be done in the gym.

Any form of moderate exercise such as walking, climbing stairs or cleaning the house can all be added to those 30 minutes.

So even if you don’t have much free time, simply being active throughout the day can help to keep you in shape.