We all know why we should exercise. Whichever way you put it, we exercise to safeguard our health. Exercising also helps us set a good example for the children. Your kids should be a reason enough for you to develop the right mindset in order to be as well as stay motivated. How many times have we skipped exercises because of some lame excuses? This is when getting fit begins being strenuous and tedious. But in order to face the right direction, here are 5 tips to get motivated for exercise:

1. Personal motivation
Make it important to get off the comfy couch at home by finding reasons to move around. The more you move the healthier you stay. The benefits you reap from getting fit should be enough personal motivation. A simple routine exercise such as a brisk walk after dinner each night can help you achieve a lot. The walk can:-
- Make your bones stronger
- Enhance your muscles
- Reduce your risk of some types of cancer, type-2 diabetes, and heart disease
- Help you be in control of your weight
In order to sustain your motivation to exercise for long, look for the internal motivators. For instance, a yoga class can leave you more energized and less stressed. A walk works best as a stress reliever for you. With these rewards, exercise becomes more meaningful to you at a personal level and hence you get highly motivated.
2. Be realistic with your goals
The CDC guidelines recommend that adults should engage in at least 2 hours 30 minutes of aerobic exercises of moderate intensity per week. This could be a walk half an hour long for five days in a week. If the physical activity is rigorous such as running or jogging, it can be done for 15 minutes a day for five days. If you try doing too much too soon, you can easily lose motivation. Increase the amount and intensity of exercise gradually depending on your level of motivation. You can set weekly realistic goals and evaluate them in the end so that you can adjust accordingly depending on whether you accomplished them or failed to.
3. Exercise should be enjoyed
This is another way of motivating yourself to exercise. It is not a must for you to visit the gym for a good workout. It can be as simple as moving more, the way you like it most. Some people like the gym since it helps them focus by providing structure. They feel that they have accomplished something. Yet for others, it is like a chore they avoid and try to wind up even before it starts. If you do not like the gym, try shooting hoops with kids or play hide and seek with them. Dancing is also an enjoyable exercise. Rather than driving or using the train, walk to the office or to the store. The bottom line is that you should have a physical activity that you enjoy doing in order to be highly motivated towards exercise.
4. Fit exercise in your busy schedule
Busy parents find it hard to exercise regularly for lack of time. Routine exercise is all about creating time since time barely opens up. Some of the tips that can help you avoid being sidetracked by the unending demands of life include:
- Putting the exercise in your calendar just like all other appointments.
- Adding exercise to the things you do daily such as riding a stationary bike while watching TV.
- Tagging the kids along and doing everything they do be it bike riding or skating.
Whenever we plan ahead when it comes to fitness, we are most likely to stay focused and on course. This way, we are motivated even more to exercise.
5. Bouncing Back
Sometimes, we cannot find ways of getting out of tight spots however much we try. For instance, you can fail to make it to the gym as planned due to an obstacle known long before it came. This should not be your downfall. Instead, you should adjust your attitude such that you do not lose your motivation towards exercise. Missing Monday's routine should be a strong reminder of Tuesday's workout. How you deal with your setbacks determine the level of your motivation towards exercise.
Exercise is not just about mastering the art of using your body to hold poses like those in yoga. It is also about learning to use your mind to swing into action as well as sticking to a fitness routine.
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