Staying fit and motivated: 10 ways to keep your exercise routine interesting
As a personal trainer, I am often asked how I stay focused and motivated to train every day. Is there a secret that I know that other people don’t? No. Is there any fitness equipment that I have found that will help me? Not precisely. The truth is, despite the hype of the gym-oriented fitness industry, one doesn’t have to be a gym regular to be fit and healthy, although 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 compiled a list of the “Top 10” ways to stay motivated and on track with your fitness routine. Hopefully, you can find a few that will help you stay on track and stay in shape.
My top 10 ways to stay fit and motivated are…
1. Get an iPod and find the music you love to listen to. You can download almost any music from sites like iTunes.
2. Buy yourself an outfit you’d like to wear (a few sizes smaller) and work towards it! Show your partner how strong your determination and willpower are by making exercises a part of your routine!
3. Keep an exercise journal where you can make an entry while having the stats for time, distance, pulse, etc. fresh in your memory. Within a month, you will be able to notice the improvements in your statistics. This really works to keep you motivated because on any given day you may not see any real improvement in your fitness level, but over the course of a month or two you will.
4. Get outdoors. Don’t just exercise in your gym or basement. Walking/jogging/running are much more fun things in nature. Walking helps you sleep better, strengthens your leg muscles, and helps you lose weight without injuring your knees or ankles. Also, you can burn 125 calories for every half hour of walking. If you’re fit, you can choose to alternate jogging and running in the same session to provide a beautiful interval workout.
5. Swimming is perfect at any age and helps tone every part of your body without affecting any 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 strokes. More calories are burned during backstrokes. Just 20 minutes will help tone in 3 weeks the time of 5 to 6 days a week.
6. Cycling is another great low-impact aerobic exercise. Take your bike out to visit a friend or do the shopping. You can burn up to 150 calories at a speed of 9.5 mph for half an hour of riding. Plus, it’s a great cardiovascular and lower-body workout.
7. Hiking can be an opportunity to spend time with friends or family away from home. And you consume BIG calories: up to 200 calories or more every half hour. Some hiking expeditions are more strenuous than others. So be careful here.
8. Aerobics class works great if you’re a people person. Join an aerobics class with workouts like Step (bench), weights, Taebo, etc. integrated. You can use up to 150 – 200 calories in half an hour depending on whether your class is low impact or high impact.
9. Dancing is a great exercise with your partner. There are many 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. Housework can be a blessing in disguise. Sweeping the porch, gardening, wiping countertops, removing and washing curtains, dusting, and polishing furniture can burn up to 200 calories a day…the same as running for 20 minutes!
Bonus tip #11. Put in the time: Staying in shape should be a commitment to yourself and your family. Be sure to set a firm time apart from all work to do any exercise of your choice that will help keep you fit and on track.
As you can see, one of the keys to staying fit and being able to maintain a regular exercise regiment is to just mix it up. This keeps things interesting and makes you look forward to your next workout instead of dreading it. Good luck!