As a personal trainer I get asked quite often about how I stay focused and motivated to train every day. Is there some secret that I know about that other people don't? No. Is there some piece of fitness equipment that I have found that helps me? Not really. The truth is, despite the hype of gym-oriented fitness industry, one doesn't have to be a gym regular to be fit and healthy, though it is immensely beneficial.
While there is no one right answer for everyone, over the years I have seen some things that seem to help people more than others. I've complied a list of "top 10" ways to stay motivated and on track with your workout routine. Hopefully you can find a few that will help you stay on track and stay fit.
My top 10 ways to stay fit and motivated are...
1. Get an iPod and find music that you love to listen to. You can download virtually any music from sites like iTunes.
2. Buy an outfit you would love to fit into (a few sizes smaller) and work for it! Show your partner how strong your determination and will power is by making workouts a part of your routine!
3. Maintain a Fitness Diary where you can make an entry while you have the statistics of time, distance, pulse rate etc fresh in your memory. In a month's time, you will be able to notice the improvements in your statistics. This really works to keep you motivated because on any given day you might not see any real improvements in your fitness level, but over the course of a month or two you will.
4. Get outdoors. Don't just workout in your gym or basement. Walking/Jogging/Running are all much more fun in nature. Walking helps sleep better, builds leg muscles and helps you lose weight without injuring your knees or ankles. Plus, you can burn 125 calories for every half hour your walk. If you are fit, you can choose to alternate jogging and running in the same session to provide beautiful interval training.
5. Swimming is perfect at any age and helps tone every part of your body without impacting any one of them! And it's never too hot to go swimming! You can burn up to 140 calories in half an hour with moderately paced breast-strokes. More calories burn during back strokes. A mere 20 minutes will help tone in 3 weeks time pitting in 5-6 days a week.
6. Cycling is another great low-impact high aerobic exercise. Get out your cycle to visit a friend or do groceries. It can burn up to 150 calories at speeds of 9.5 mph for a half hr ride. Plus it's a great cardio and lower body workout.
7. Hiking can be an opportunity to spend time with friends or family away from home. And, it is a BIG calories spender - up to 200 calories or more every half hour. Some hiking expeditions are more strenuous than others. So be careful here.
8. Aerobics Class work great if you are a social person. Join an aerobics class with workouts such as Step (bench), weights, Taebo etc built in. You can use up to 150 - 200 calories in half an hour depending on whether your class is a low or high impact one.
9. Dancing is a great exercise with your partner. There's lots of fun dances that you can learn, Tango, Waltz, Swing. What a fun way to burn up to 200 calories in half an hour of fun!
10. Household work can be a blessing in disguise. Sweeping the porch, gardening, wiping down the counter tops, taking down curtains and washing them, dusting, and polishing furniture can burn as much as 200 calories a day... the same as jogging for 20 minutes!
Bonus tip #11. Set time aside: Staying fit should be a commitment to yourself and your family. Make sure you set a firm time aside from all work to get any exercise of your choice that will help you stay fit and stay on track.
As you can see one of the keys to staying fit and being able to maintain a regular fitness regiment is simply to mix it up. This keeps things interesting and makes you look forward to your next workout instead of dreading it. Good luck!
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