5 Great Ways To Get Going!

“I like to move it” sang Reel 2 Real 20 years ago. (Yes. 20.) It’s such an awesome 90’s relic!

Anyway, I think we can both agree on that exercise is good for you.

Especially these health benefits should keep both you and me on the exercise train:

Physically, exercise lowers the risk of heart disease and stroke, lowers blood pressure,  reduces the risk of type 2 diabetes and obesity, reduces pain and osteoporosis, and to a certain extent even cancer. Mentally, it helps depression and anxiety, makes you sleep better, lowers tension, anger and relieves stress.

But then WHY is it often demotivating to do it?!

Some days the pure thought of getting into your shoes and even just going out for a walk is challenging to say the least.

While other days it feels like you’re flying in the same shoes that felt like bricks just the day before?!

Motivation is a funny thing sometimes. Here are a few tips on how to keep going, in case the health benefits just aren’t enough:

Activity: Find something you think is FUN to do! If you’re not having fun whilst doing it, you won’t keep doing it either. Fact.

So, what do you feel like doing, that can also be classified as exercise? Shake it out on a dance floor? Go find one! Run so fast you feel your legs are going to fall off? Get out of here now! Are you a water animal? Find that pool and go for a swim. Do you take pride in being able to lift heavy things? Maybe a gym is the right answer for you.

Purpose: If there’s someone else relying on you moving around, you’re much more likely to do it.

Team up with a friend who needs a kick in the butt too, or play with your kids, walk the neighbors dog, or rearrange your living room.

Track your process: Time yourself, keep track of how heavy you lifted last time or how far you swam. There are amazing apps out there for most of these, you just have to find one that suits you. My husband, for example, prefers Runkeeper, while I’m the happiest with the Nike+ app.

Music: A well-put-together playlist can work wonders for the old motivation. I love to put on my playlist called “Currently Awesome” and just GO. If you have Spotify, try an app like Tunigo to find some new inspiration for your uphill climbs.

Change up your routine: I recently got a little bored of my daily walks. I always went out about 2 hours after my lunch, mostly the same routes… So I thought to myself that as this is the only form of exercise I feel comfortable with right now (for several reasons), I have got to make it exciting again. Since about a week I go out in the mornings instead. And choose different routes every time. And it works! This little trick has made me all excited about it again.

So try it out, can you change the duration/sequence/intensity/company/timing of your exercise?

In the end, it doesn’t really matter what you do – as long as you have fun doing it!

So take King Julian’s (from Dreamwork’s Madagascar movies) advice and at least get up and shake it to this song!