"What have you done today to make you feel proud!

Yesterday I was talking to my niece, and asking how her new gym membership was working out for her. She replied she goes there about 3 times a week and really enjoys it! I said, ‘ enjoy?’ and she says.. ‘ ya I like the way it makes me feel afterwards, I like that feeling, it feels good!’  I thought – huummm I’m not there yet! Go to the gym just because it feels good? I go because I HAVE TOO! Not because I enjoy it. My niece is a skinny as one could wish to be, but still goes because she is smart like all youth is now a days,  and realizes that health is very important, and that you can enjoy it too! Boy do I have a long road ahead of me! I hopefully too, one day, will enjoy it too! And just go there because it’s fun!

 I found this article on the net, and added my own comments to it… hopefully it will inspire you as well.. it does help me to know I’m on the right track!

 Top 7 Keys To Motivation For Exercise!

By Greg Landry  &  Wendy (with my own comments!)

1. Know the benefits of exercise. We are more motivated to do things that we'll benefit from. The more we benefit, the more motivated we are. For example, if I told you I'd give you a million dollars to take a 30-minute walk tomorrow morning, would you do it? You bet you would! The benefits of exercise aren't quite that compelling, but they are pretty motivating! You will benefit tremendously from consistent exercise. For many people, that's very motivating!

* **For me : 1 million dollars = not  having  to take ANY prescription drugs any more that had to do with obesity!

2. Create your personal "reasons list." Keep a piece of paper and pen handy for a couple of days. Jot down EVERY reason you can think of that you want to get healthy/get fit/lose weight through consistent exercise. Real life example: I spoke to a lady a couple of months ago who could only think of two reasons that she wanted to lose weight and get fit. I told her to think about it for a couple of days and she came up with a list of over 30 reasons, such as: more energy to spend quality time with her family at night to be able to fit into all the clothes in her closet to be able to live a long, healthy life and to enjoy time with her children, husband, and grandchildren (eventually) to not be uncomfortable in public to not become breathless climbing stairs to be able to do "active" things with her family and friends to be able to play on the floor with her children to be able to wear nice clothes Her list goes on, but you get the picture. Make a long, extensive list. This may not seem important, but it is critical to be able to read this list when your motivation to exercise is waning. It's a powerful way to quickly get "re-motivated"!

***For me – my “ reason list” , was not being able to walk for more than 5 minutes without totally being out of breath, and a horrendous pain in my hips. I do not want to be in wheelchair like my mom was at the age of 60! I do not want to die of ‘ Fatty liver disease, what my mom died of because her history of obesity. 

3. Exercise with a friend. Statistics tell us that people who exercise with a friend are more successful at exercising consistently. You can keep each other accountable. Knowing that someone is waiting or you to exercise with them can be great motivation to show up and get it done!

* **For me – my friend is my trainer! She is my biggest motivator!

4. Exercise first thing in the morning, every morning. Folks, if you're really serious about this exercise thing, then get serious about it. Our bodies were made to be active on a daily basis, and when we are, all sorts of wonderful things happen. We even get healthy and fit! People who exercise 6 to 7 days per week first thing in the morning are much more successful at exercising consistently than those who do the 2 or 3 day thing. It doesn't have to be a huge workout everyday. Get out there and take a 30-minute walk.

*** For me – I work out at night, but have done a few mornings, and I can see the most benenfit is that once you have done it in the morning , at least it’s done! And you can sit on that couch at night when you get home at night! But for me the couch is STILL a very dangerous area! Couch = eating!

5. Train for a local 5K or 10K walk or run in your area. This can be great motivation to exercise on a regular basis. I've seen many people transformed from couch potatoes to lean, mean, exercising machines because they decided to enter and train for a competition like this. Don't think you can't do it...YOU CAN!

***For me – yuup.. last summer I took part in to marathons, the Breast Cancer and AIDS walks… very satisfying and motivational for sure!

6. Reward yourself! Real life example: Claire from Atlanta told me that she puts $3 in a piggy bank every time she exercises. She gives herself the freedom to spend this money on things she normally wouldn't buy for herself. She says she usually ends up with more than $70 per month!

***For me – I buy myself new clothes.. like a reward ! and few household items.. and oh ya.. tickets to concerts!

7. Keep records. Write down your exercise time (minutes) each day. Keep a running total for the month and year. Calculate your average exercise time per day. Set some lofty goals! :)

***For me – that’s done by my ‘ Bodybugg’

BONUS TIPS

Make your exercise as enjoyable as possible. For example, if you're a walker, you may want to get a good cassette or CD player to listen to music or books on tape, etc. If you're exercising inside, set up a TV so that you can watch it while exercising. On the other hand, you may just prefer peace and quiet. Do whatever makes exercise most enjoyable for you.

***For me – yuup.. at home my treadmill is infront of the Computer TV, and at my gym, all the machines are hooked up with new HDTV wide screen TV’s.. plus I listen to my ipod with really good headphones, that cut out the NOISE from the gym around me!

You are much more likely to exercise consistently if you enjoy it.

Wear good shoes that are appropriate for what you're doing. Injuries seriously affect your motivation to exercise. Most people, especially walkers and runners, wear their shoes far too long. Worn out shoes will make you much more prone to injuries. My absolute favorite place to buy shoes is "Road Runner Sports." It has great prices, but most importantly, its catalog includes a great chart for determining which shoes are best for you based on numerous factors. Even if you don't buy shoes from them, this chart is great to have. See results and get compliments. That's really motivating! GO FOR IT!

***For me – I just bought new runners.. I had no idea, but indeed you need to replace your runners every 8 months.. or you will feel the effects.. !! ( not good)