It is currently recommended that Americans get in at least 150 minutes of physical activity each week (that’s about 20 minutes a day). That actually seems easily achievable. Right? Not on those sometimes many days that we are so tired that it may take us ten minutes to tie one shoe lace. Forget about tying two of them. It is very exciting to sign up for challenges and bootcamps. Usually the motivation is very high during the first three to four days. After this, you notice that your level of motivation begins to slow down. This is when you have to dig deeper into your mind and soul in order to keep making progress in your health and wellness journey. But how do you dig deeper? How do you stay motivated and focused on your exercise routine? Let me give you three tips have helped not only me, but also many of my clients.

#1 SET REALISTIC GOALS RIGHT FROM THE BEGINNING

One reason I am not a fan of new year resolutions of any kind, is because they don’t work. A lot of times these goals are set when emotions are extremely high. You hear people actually stating that they plan to exercise every single day of the new year. There are people who actually exercise six days a week. I doubt if these people started off by setting a goal of working out 6 days. Most likely, they started off with a few days, and then gradually worked their way up to six days. This is a much better approach that will help you in the long run to stay motivated.

#2 BE PERMANENTLY ACCOUNTABLE

It is one thing to be accountable to others and it is another thing to always be accountable. This is why it is very important to choose your accountability partners wisely. If you choose your spouse or your best friend as your accountability partner, they may often give you because they “understand what you are going through”. That is great but not enough to keep you permanently motivated. The best tip here is to join an online or neighborhood group with members that have taken the idea of gradually improving their state of well being seriously. Join a group of people who discuss some form of wellness at least every other day. This ensures that your environment is one that adds good fuel to your goal of lifetime wellness.

#3  WRITE DOWN A VISION

There is power in visualization. Once you write things on paper, they almost begin to  seem very real. First of all ask yourself what you want to gain from exercising daily. Is it to look great or to stay healthy? Why do you want to look good or stay healthy? Answering these crucial questions will help you write down the vision you have mentally conceptualized. Your vision could be to stay fit in order to be able to always run your business at your most optimal state of mental clarity. Your vision may be to be able to keep up with and remain physically active c with your children and grandchildren. Write this down where you can see it every day. This helps a lot especially on those days when you have almost no motivation to even raise up one arm in the air.

Most people do not like to exercise. They exercise simply because they have to for their health or to look good and fit into that perfect outfit. Whatever your reason is, set realistic goals, surround yourself with people who nurture and encourage you to exercise.

Coachkay

WLS, FNS

#mashfire