Everyone knows by now that exercise is good for the health. Moreover, you have to do it regularly to reap its benefits.
The idea of sweating isn’t pleasant. A lot of people have tried and just didn’t enjoy the experience of exercising. It’s a mystery how some come to love physical activities while others can’t pull themselves off the couch.
However, there are a few tricks to make working out more pleasurable and enjoyable! Here are some tips:
Pick an Activity You Enjoy Doing
This is the first thing that all experts’ advice to anyone who wants to be more physically active, but can’t find the motivation to move. It gets repeated a lot of times because it’s true. Once you find an activity you enjoy, then it gets easier to be fit.
Would you prefer going for a run, cycling, swimming or playing sports? It’s more likely that you’ll want to go more frequently if your workout of choice is a favorite sport.
It might take time before you find the activity you like. You might have to try going to the gym, running, cycling, swimming, hiking, and other physically-demanding activities before you actually figure out if you may be more into one than the other.
Wear Cute Exercise Clothes
As silly as it sounds, cute and flattering exercise clothes can give you a boost of confidence and motivation. When your wardrobe is filled with many active wear options, you’ll be more excited to workout.
Of course, your exercise gear alone won’t actually make you workout. However, it can motivate you to wake up early, dress up, and then step out of the house which is usually the hardest part of working out.
When it comes to choosing what to wear during gym sessions, remember these three rules: The outfit should be comfortable (you don’t want any distractions), easy to put on (so that you can actually get into exercising mode right away), and practical (for example, high-impact sports bra for women).
Bring a Friend
Having a friend to work out with you almost always guarantees that you’ll go; especially when the activity is something like running or volleyball.
It doesn’t really matter if your friend is more active than you, less so, or about the same level of fitness as you are. It’s more likely that one of two things will happen: either your friend will convince you to join them which means exercising happens, or both friends will find a way to get it done even if they don’t feel up for it at first.
There’s safety in numbers and no one feels comfortable breaking promises with a buddy by abandoning them just before an athletic session.
Make It a Social Media Challenge
If you use social media a lot, you know that there are challenges that pop up regularly. Knowing that you’re doing an activity with countless others, many of whom will motivate you to push harder and do your best, could make exercising more fun.
Check YouTube for 30-day exercise challenges. These activities are perfect because they build healthy habits that, eventually, will make exercising a part of your normal routine for you.
If you want to, you can document your experience to share to others online. This could also motivate you to keep working out because you get to watch yourself progress throughout the challenge.
Focus on Your Progress, Not the Number on the Scale
Whether you’re working out to lose weight or just live better overall, it’s good to not focus too much on the number on the scale. If you want to get healthier by exercising more often than you should do so without worrying about turning into a size zero if that isn’t your goal at all.
It’s easy for someone who is new to working out and has never been fit before to be discouraged while going through some fitness changes. Looking at the number of the scales can even create pressure and cause stress. It may seem like progress is nonexistent at first while anyone else can see that you’ve come a long way from when you started. With regular exercise comes self-confidence and perseverance which are two that can very valuable in life in general.
Finally, don’t overwork yourself in the beginning of a workout regimen. If you’re trying to get fit and not very active at all, it’s possible to injure yourself if you push too hard right away. Instead, work out more often at a lower intensity until you gradually get stronger and healthier. Then, increase the intensity of your sessions gradually.
