How To Keep Motivated At The Gym

We all want to look in shape and physically fit and stay active, yet while it’s true exercise is good for our bodies there is one challenge we’re all faced with. Motivation, that is lack of? Going to the gym sounds good and most of us have very good intentions, we sometimes fall short of our goal. Long day at work fatigued late in the afternoon adds to our excuse as to why we’re not able to get there today. I’m busy this afternoon I’ll get there tomorrow night for sure, sound familiar? Truth is we do have many other obligations which need to be addressed every day and should never be ignored. However when it comes to our health we need to take notice.

Many years ago when I was much younger, I was given a word of advice regarding my finances. I was young and thought earning more money would fix my financial issues, until one day at lunch an old timer I never spoke to heard my tails of woe , and said, son when you get your paycheck the first bill you should pay is yourself. It did not register at first, but after a few minutes I thought about it, he was right if I pay myself first I’ll always have money, a concept I still utilize today. This methodology can be applied to many areas in life.

Health is an area which the same principal can be applied. If we make health our first priority we’ll always have time to get to the gym, or go for a walk, swim, bike or any other physical activities. We can always find an excuse for not getting a bit of exercise, however we can easily make excuses why we cannot miss going to the gym also! If time were money how would you spend it? Time can also be used as leverage. If you and I are to begin a life of fitness we must use time to our advantage, decide what is the best time for exercise, some people can do early morning, others at lunch time, myself I’m one who goes after work I find I’m not in as much in a hurry, however with most of us working longer hours and little free time we mush be aware of how much time we spend at the gym.

While exercise should be a part of our daily routine we must also be mindful of other activities which consume our daily life. Set aside time 3-4 days a week. Start small  say 15 minutes per workout, over the next few weeks extend it to an hour, like any type of physical exercise always consult with your doctor first.

After a few weeks you’ll have developed a routine, although it is a challenge to find time for a work out use each minute as leverage, with the passing of time think about how important each exercise is, focus on your physical routine as well as the intensity. With limited time your workouts will be efficient and quick.

Make a promise to yourself no matter what you will be there the days you said you would. Always keep your promises. Don’t forget to track you success, keep good records of your routine so you can look at how far you’ve come. Without a log keeping motivated could be a challenges, whenever you have a down day and might not feel like going to the gym, look at how well you’ve down over the past few months, this will keep you on a path for success.

Don’t forget to reward yourself for your achievements. A good reward can keep you motivated to want to do better next week. Health is an important element of life, we can have all the money in the world but if we ignore our health and become ill, we have nothing.

Don’t wait until next week to get started…Begin today.

You’ll be glad you did!

~Stay Strong~