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Most of us make New Year resolutions, which usually include regular workout but how many of us actually keep it? Not more than a handful, right? Trying a new fitness routine is very easy but sticking to it takes a lot of dedication. As soon as the enthusiasm fueled by the New Year slackens, a thousand things begin to distract us and we forget about the membership we bought so eagerly.
However, we should take some inspiration from those who workout regularly and don’t need to lean in resolution to get fit. How are they so motivated? As it turns out, not all of them want to get ripped or want those 6-pack abs, they just like to stay healthy and feel good. And we think that that is good enough motivation. Some of them mix it up to keep it interesting?
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Easy Ways to Make Exercise a Habit
You don’t have to stick to something you don’t find interesting. Ask yourself – what is that one (or more) thing that would make me want to be there every day. Sometimes it is not about what gives you results but what makes you feel good and makes you happy.
The problem is that a lot of people tend to relate to working out with something that they have to do instead of something that they want to do. Even when you force yourself to do something you know to be good for you, you end up finding reasons to not do it. A lot of people will tell you the benefits of strength training or amazing Yoga benefits but you should stick to Zumba if you like to dance. And if you haven’t found what you like to do, you should experiment by trying new routines.
Learning to manage time will help you sort your life out and not just make a habit of working out. Stick to a particular time of the day to workout, be it morning or evening. Say you want to get up a couple of hours before you head to the office and workout for an hour. Try to wake up at that time every day and stick to the routine. Not having a schedule will make you to put it off until the next day or time, which by the way never comes.
Moreover, you will NEVER get the time to workout; you will have to FIND the time to workout. Put it on a calendar and tick off the days you actually make it to the gym or the park. And yes, if you want to wake up in the morning, stop setting 20 alarms on your phone. Trust your body clock and you will be able to wake up on time. The idea is to sleep on time and get your beauty sleep.
Your body allows you to workout a little longer the first day you begin; it has a lot of energy stored up. However, as you expend it during a fitness session, you start to feel the pain and get to know how little stamina you have left. Don’t go by the first day because you will feel that you can do more. Don’t push yourself too much; start with 20-30 minutes of workout. Even 15 minutes will do at first. Get used to working out and then increase the intensity and duration gradually.
Yes, your legs will hurt and getting up from the bed will make you cringe but you have to keep moving even when you don’t feel like it. Think of it like getting to work; you don’t like to leave home in the morning but you do it nonetheless and feel good later. Don’t think of a full workout; just go to the gym for 10 minutes and continue if you feel like it. 90% of the time you’ll get into the rhythm and complete a workout unless you’re unwell or injured yourself. Note that if you do miss out on a workout when you can actually do it, it will be easy for you to skip once again and it will be difficult to get back in the routine. Tell yourself that there is no next time or tomorrow and you should do fine.
Having something to look up to always makes it easier; motivation always gets the job done. Therefore, having a why is important. It could be the simplest of motives - wanting to live longer, be fit, be resistant to diseases and illness, etc. These reasons will always trump a motive like looking good when you take your shirt off. Experts say that writing down your purpose and referring to it every day helps in staying motivated
You can also train or workout to participate in competitions; just being a part of something like that can make you feel good about yourself. A deadline will help you push yourself. Every extra step, lift, squat, pull-up, push-up flex, rep, etc. will feel good.
Finally, remember that it takes 21 days to build (or break) a habit and 90+ days to create a lifestyle.
