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8 Ways to Avoid Laziness in Exercising
by Yumi Sakugawa
Exercising is so important for your mind, body and soul. Which is why it's important to have an arsenal of strategies at hand when your head is full of a thousand excuses for why you sleep in, watch TV or browse the internet instead of giving your body a full work-out. Here are some ways to keep your inner couch potato quiet so you can keep your body moving like you're supposed to.
1. Be As Specific As Possible With Your Exercise Time.
What's most likely going to get done: saying you'll go runnning once a week, or saying you'll go running every Wednesday at six-thirty in the morning right after waking up and right before eating breakfast? If you can at least articulate to yourself a specific window of time for your exercise session, you will be more likely to follow through with it.
2. Schedule It Into Your Day.
Once you've pinned down the exact time and day of the week you are going to exercise, take another crucial step by actually scheduling it--whether it's writing it down in your daily planner, typing it into your iPhone or having a Post-It reminder on you refrigerator. If you don't schedule it, it won't get done.
3. Tell Your Friends and Family About Your Exercise Routine.
Whether you've been doing exercise for years or you are going to start seriously exercising, tell your friends and family about it. Knowing that other people know about your commitment to exercise will give you more motivation to stay true to your goals, rather than letting your intention silently wither away without other people knowing.
4. Do It With a Friend.
Just as teling your family and friends about your exercise routine might give you the incentive to keep up your image of being committed to exercise, having an exercise partner will tremendously help you with morale if you are ever feeling the temptation to sit out on a session.
5. Follow Up Your Exercise with a Rewarding Activity.
So long as the rewarding activity is not burgers and fries! Treat yourself after working out so you will always associate exercising with a positive outcome. It can be as simple as giving yourself the time to do a DIY facial mask or browsing at a bookstore close to your gym.
6. Make Exercise Part of Your Good Karma.
Tell yourself that if you keep exercising, you'll have a greater chance of falling in love / getting a promotion / achieving your childhood dream--whatever goal that is your greatest desire. Anything that will keep you inspired with your exercise routine!
7. Keep Track of Your Progress.
Whether you make red X's on your wall calendar or write down minutes on your schedule planner, keeping track of how much you exercise will motivate you to either keep up the momentum or to push yourself even harder. If you see that you've done five hours of exercise in a week, you can then begin planning how you can push for 7 or 8 for the next week.
8. See Exercise as a Needed Break, Not as a Tedious Chore.
How could exercise possibly be a break when you are sometimes trying to take a break from exercise? Think of how while you are exercising, you have the free time to daydream, focus on the scenery and enjoy the energy in your body instead of being caught up in fulfilling obligations for your significant other, family or boss. Exercise is the energizing break you give yourself so you can kick butt for the rest of the week.
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