"Where can I get the motivation to exercise? How do I keep up with the exercise routine that I've established?"
Some people like to go to an aerobics class with a high energy instructor who will tell them how to exercise.
Other people get motivated by going with friends to the gym and keeping eachother on track. Still others need nobody but themselves
to motivate them as they have set a concrete goal in their mind and will let nothing get in the way of attaining it. It really
all depends on you. You can buy books, listen to a motivational video in the car or set up appointments with friends on a
regular basis. You can put up pictures of people you want to look like on your fridge or buy smaller clothes that you
want to fit into and hang them on a wall you can look at every day.
It is a good idea though, to set small attainable goals for yourself. If you are 190 pounds, for example,
maybe you want to set a goal of getting to 185 pounds through diet and exercise. When you are 185 pounds, you can then set
a new goal for 180 pounds, and so on down until you have reached your ultimate weight loss goal.
The trick about establishing an exercise routine is to get it to be so habitual that you don't think about
doing it when you do it. If you walk for 30 minutes every morning or every night at the same each day, you will be more likely
to make a habit out of it than if you switch the times around.
Also, if you switch up your exercises with some variety, such as swimming one day and walking the next
and doing aerobics the next day, chances are you will keep yourself more interested in exercise.
Another trick you can use is affirmations. Affirmations are simple phrases you say to yourself to
"affirm" or be positive of what you are doing. Marketing firms already use this sneaky method to sell us products, so why
not use it on ourselves to acheive our own goals? When you say a positive affirmation often enough, it is like sending
your subconscious a commercial to improve your own life. An example could be "I am walking 10 minutes a day to improve my
fitness." If you are 200 pounds overweight and think "oh there is no way I could walk for even a few seconds," just try repeating
that statement to yourself over and over again. Pretty soon you will believe it and start walking more and more.
