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How you can stay motivated to exercise (10 strategies for long-term success)

One of the most common things I hear from individuals who don't exercise regularly is, “I know I should do it, however i just do not have motivation. How can I get motivated to work out?”

I understand how they feel, because that was once me, too. It seems like a mountain to overcome. It feels like you must have something lacking inside. I used to consider athletes and fit people as some kind of unicorn, possessing innate magic and talents which i just didn't.

The the fact is fit people don't necessarily convey more motivation or willpower than you. They have simply formed a regular habit of exercise. For some of us, it doesn't come naturally and we may have to work on it, but it's absolutely in your reach.

That's because exercise success isn't determined by motivation or willpower. Rather, it's about habits.

Here are 10 guidelines to help you with motivation and creating a new exercise habit.

Set a particular amount of time in your calendar to exercise.

This is probably the largest secret to exercise success and forming a routine. The right time is whatever works for you, but set it in your schedule and stay with it religiously. The majority of us are busy, therefore it is probably going to be a few making the time, rather than having the time. If you do nothing else, do that. It's critical.

Pick the best exercise for you personally.

It's extremely difficult to become motivated to do something you dread. When you're starting out, pick a task you enjoy or at best something don't hate.

If you aren't sure what you would like, try something totally new. Keep a balanced view. All movement counts as exercise. It certainly needn't be jumping jacks and burpees. Dance, walk, ride a bike, fighting techinques -whatever appeals to you.

Just because someone on Instagram does high-intensity bootcamp workouts does not mean it's best for you. Moderate-intensity exercise works just fine, too, and it is far less prone to injury for beginners.

READ: Exercises for those who hate to work out: 18 fun suggestions to get moving

Start small but remain consistent.

One of the most popular mistakes I see people make is that they go from zero to 60, and they can't keep that up so they drop out and feel defeated. If you are new to exercise, it's not necessary to perform a whole hour or even Half an hour so that it is effective. Focus on beginning with a little, doable amount that you can keep up with on a daily basis (for me, it was Fifteen minutes). Then, each week, add-on some more minutes before you get to 30-60 minutes.

Don't make exercise only about your physical appearance, or concerning the scale.

There's no problem with attempting to look your very best. Exercise can definitely help with that. Additionally, it may assist with losing inches if that is your ultimate goal. However the advantages of exercise exceed aesthetics or burning calories.

For most people, focusing only on appearance or weight doesn't provide enough motivation to stick with exercise for very long. When you've exercised for a while and there's no change around the scale, you may get discouraged and think it's not working. When that happens, there is a high tendency to stop.

The scale doesn't tell the whole story. If you are regular exercise, then change IS happening within your body – even though you don't see it yet. You'll start feeling it before you decide to see it.

Weight loss can also be determined by how on your table along with other factors. However, even if you're doing all the “right” things, it requires time to lose weight inside a healthy and sustainable way. Have patience and persistent. Don't give up on exercise.

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