I DON'T HAVE THE........MOTIVATION! - TOP 5 TIPS TO GET (AND KEEP) MORE MOTIVATION TO EXERCISE

Not having the motivation is the last excuse we are going to destroy in our “I DON'T HAVE THE.......” series of articles identifying the causes of in-activity and helping you find your way around them.

Apathy is something which affects us all in life and its root cause is motivation, if we absolutely HAVE to do something then it gets done. If we can get by without doing it then it more than likely will be forgotten about or just ignored.

People think that they can get away with sitting on the couch all day watching TV. No-one is going to order them do otherwise so they won't do otherwise. If our life depended on doing 4-5 bits of vigorous exercise per week then everyone would be out there in the gyms, on the soccer field and running by the beach. The sad thing is that our lives DO depend on us doing exercise, that is if we want to live them to their fullest and enjoy as much as possible.

If that isn't motivation enough to start living a healthier, more active lifestyle then below are some suggestions to help you along if your enthusiasm is waning;

TOP 5 TIPS TO GET (AND KEEP) MORE MOTIVATION TO EXERCISE

1) Think of the Benefits

Consider how you could benefit from being fitter and healthier, what positive impacts might it have on your life? Off the top of your head you can probably think of 2 or 3 but consider it for a while and take into account bigger picture stuff like being able to play with your kids, being there to look after them, remaining attractive to your partner and being independent into your old age. These sort of things REALLY matter to most people and are dependent on regular exercise. Still struggling to get off the couch???.........keep thinking, write a list and post it somewhere in plain view in your house then see if you feel like going for a run or not.

2) Set Goals

Identifying an objective and then setting goals along the way is the first thing any good personal trainer will do first. They know that it is key to maintaining motivation and keeping their client coming back week after week. When there is a clear, realistic and achievable goal somewhere in the not too distant future then it is not as easy to lose focus, interest and motivation. So set yourself an end objective, call it body beautiful or whatever you like. Then set a goal to reach 2 or 3 months down the line. When you achieve that goal you will feel amazing and be ready to set another on your way to reaching your end objective and becoming the person you dreamed of.

3) Love Thyself and Love Thy Exercise

It's tough to want to do something you hate, in fact I would say it's almost impossible. You need to have incredible powers of self deception to convince yourself to carry on doing an activity you really loath. So find something you like doing instead; hate running on the treadmill? Then stop, go run on the beach or lift some weights or join a sports team and stop trying to impersonate a hamster 4 times per week! Let the enjoyment of the activity be the motivation for turning up and not guilt, pressure or boredom.

4) Create a Vision!

Remember that objective we talked about earlier? Try making it a real image in your mind. If it is a vision of you with a perfect body then give it a nice setting like a lush meadow. Smell the cut grass, hear the wind in the trees and feel what it's like to be standing in a fit, firm and flexible body. Now see and feel yourself doing something like playing with your kids or running around with a footy.......imagine what's it like to run along and bend down to effortlessly scoop something off the floor one-handed or have a loved one touch you around the waist without feeling self conscious. Remember those feelings and use them to drive you onwards when you feel your motivation sapping.

5) Buddy Up!

Nothing motivates like a bit of competition or firm encouragement so it makes sense to work out in company. Recruit one or more friends as training buddies, join a sports team or group exercise class or use a personal trainer. All of these can give you that extra kick up the rear end you need to get up, get out and and get fit.

Apply some or all of these tips to your life and soon you'll have so much motivation that YOU will be the one dragging everyone else up to do something active!!