Tip of the Month April 2008

How to keep yourself going

It is this time of year that our motivation to get out and exercise drops to its lowest point. The drive we had after Christmas has finally died a death and the warm summer weather seems so far away to really warrant the exercise effort. So instead of putting on our exercise gear and going out for a good workout we curl up in front of the television and push exercise from our minds.

If this picture sounds all too familiar try some of our motivational tips to get you up and going.

• Train with a friend – research has shown that if you make an appointment to exercise with a friend you are much less likely to wimp out as you do not want to let them down. Also chatting away to a friend while exercising makes it more enjoyable and the time just simply whizzes by.
  
• Make it bite sized – don’t get put off by the ‘must do an hours exercise’, if you are not feeling full of energy just aim for 10 or 15 minutes. The worst that will happen is you will have done some exercise but the likelihood is that you will actually end up doing the hour without aiming to.
  
• Reward yourself – reward systems really do work. You have put all the hard work and effort in so you deserve a reward, whether it is an extra evening out with the boys or a new pair of shoes, go on treat yourself.
  
• Visualise success – if you find your motivation to exercise decreasing visualise how good you feel at the end of your workout or when a friend or colleague complements you on how good you look. This will quickly give you that extra boost you need to keep yourself going.
  
• Get a routine – we are all creatures of habit, so try to exercise at the some time each week. After a few weeks of following this routine you will no longer need to go through the deadly decision making process of shall I or shall I not exercise today, as it will just simply be part of your weekly routine.

Return to this months tip