Your Fitness Program

Here are some tips for staying on a Fitness Program:

- Increase your weight loss motivation towards your fitness program and exercise in general by making each and every one of your exercise sessions an important part of your schedule. For example think of you exercise session as an important business appointment.

- Write your fitness program sessions into your day timer - this will cause you to keep your weight loss motivation high and stick to your fitness program just as you would a business meeting.

- If you always exercise on the same days of the week and at the same time each day your motivation for weight loss will be soaring because your fitness program will become a fixture in your life.

- If going to the gym becomes a hassle, your motivation for weight loss will all but disappear. If your gym is far away from your home and you're fighting traffic to get there you'll not have much weight loss motivation. In addition, once you get to your gym if it's over-crowded you may lose your weight loss motivation.

- Don't be over aggressive with your fitness program, because this can lead to a decrease in your motivation for weight loss. Many people start out too aggressively and as a result they can quickly lose their weight loss motivation because they are exhausted and in pain.

- Then they lose their motivation for weight loss all together and stop going to the gym because they find themselves not looking forward to additional pain.

- Goal setting is key way of keeping your weight loss motivation high. Goals help you keep motivated by focusing your and clarifying what it is that you are trying to achieve. As you attain each goal, you gain encouragement and further weight loss motivation. It is important that you make sure you are able to measure your goals for motivation for weight loss.

- Set short-term goals as a way to reach your long-term goals to keep your weight loss motivation high.

- Make sure your goals actually are attainable and somewhat challenging. If you set your expectations too high, you'll become frustrated, your motivation for weight loss will disappear and you'll stop exercising altogether. When you have health and fitness goals that are somewhat challenging and you reach them you'll generate even more weight loss motivation.

- Too busy to exercise? Incorporate it into your day. Park farther away from the entrance of your office or shopping mall. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Engage in play with your kids or the dog.

- Too tired to exercise? Get out of the habit of rushing everywhere and take time to take care of your body. If the store is a few blocks away and you only need 1 or 2 items, walk instead of driving. Instead of going to the movies on a beautiful Saturday afternoon, go to the zoo, stroll through an art gallery, or go for a hike. Rushing everywhere puts unnecessary stress on our minds and our bodies. Get your heart pumping for another reason. Be interactive instead of inactive.

- Make time for exercise. Get up a half-hour earlier, walk during lunch, or turn off the television in the evening.

- Make it fun. Choose activities that you enjoy. Gardening and walking are the two most popular forms of exercise among adults.

- Make sure you have a variety of activities to choose from so that you don't get bored and drop your exercise program.

- Be creative. Instead of calling a friend, arrange to get together for a walk-and-talk once or twice a week.

- Involve your family. Take the kids along for walks and bike rides. Spend quality time with your partner while enjoying an outdoor activity.

- Set fitness goals. Commit to walking or running a certain distance in one month, three months, or six months. Work on increasing the number of laps you swim each day.

- Train for an event. A walk-a-thon, bike-a-thon, or triathlon. If you need support, get a friend to join you.

- Give yourself a reward for your fitness accomplishments.

- Find a convenient time and place for your exercise. Schedule this time and honor it. If you are unable to for some reason, make it up as soon as possible. This is the biggest reason why we backslide. We miss one, then two workouts, and before you know it, it's been two weeks, and we no longer want to start over.

- Start slowly and work up to exercising 3-5 times a week for 30- 60 minutes. The more often you work out, the less time you have to set aside for it. For example, working out 3 times a week for 60 minutes requires a bigger time commitment than working out 5 times a week for 30 minutes. If you are really pressed for time, break the 30 minute session into two 15 minute segments or three 10 minute segments.

- Once you have made regular exercise part of your lifestyle, don't just stop there. Greater health benefits can be obtained by engaging in physical activity of a more vigorous intensity or of longer duration. Moreover, recent recommendations from experts also suggest that endurance activity should be supplemented with strength-developing exercises at least twice per week for adults.

- Find something you enjoy and that will be easy for you to do. If you hate running, than don't start a running program. Try brisk walking instead. Also, consider what is nearby. Maybe you enjoy swimming, but if you don't have access to a pool, that's not a good choice either. Your best choice is something that you are able to do.

- Exercise at the right time. If you're not a morning person, first thing in the morning might not work for you. But don't use that as an excuse for not exercising, and be aware that the longer you put off exercising, the harder it is to get motivated to exercise.

- Set specific, realistic, and attainable goals--both short-term and long-term.
Your weekly goal might be to work out four times, while your long-term goal might be to finish a 5K race. Keep your goals attainable. If you've never run before, don't attempt a marathon in your first couple months. A 5K would be a much better choice.

- Monitor your progress. Keep a journal to see your improvement. Note your feelings about your exercise program, as well as your accomplishments. Progress takes time, but is a great encouragement to keep on.

- Read about exercise and fitness. The more you read, the more you will learn about exercise and avoid potential pitfalls or common misconceptions about exercise. You can read motivational and educational articles on this site, as well as many other sites. Also, check out our book resources or your local library for some great reading.

- Get the support of others. Exercise with your family, spouse, friend or neighbor. Consider joining a group (running, cycling, or aerobic class). You'll be more likely to continue with a routine, if you have a support group or someone to hold you accountable. It is so much easier to run at 6 AM when you know a friend or neighbor is waiting for you.

Related Links

Motivation
Motivating Thoughts
Motivation Tips
Diet Motivation
Do's & Don'ts