9 Ways To Stay Motivated To Exercise

Everyone knows that exercise is a KEY element to good health. The trick is keeping yourself motivated to exercise, if you're a person who naturally relapses into the couch-potato pose.

It took me years of prodding, but I've finally managed to turn myself into a dedicated exerciser. I never push myself very hard (at all), but I do manage to stick with a routine.

Personally, I find it more motivating to think about short-term gratification like "I'll sleep better" than long-term considerations like "I'll live longer" or "If I have surgery, I'll recover quicker."

Here are some things to keep in mind, if you're trying to keep yourself motivated to exercise:

1. Exercise boosts energy. It took me a long time to notice that I'd drag myself to the gym, work out for forty minutes, and leave feeling far more energetic than when I went in.

2. Exercise provides an outlet for feelings of pent-up hostility, irritation, and anger. I always find that I'm far calmer and more forbearing on days when I've exercised. I have a jittery, high-strung nature, and exercising takes the edge off.

3. Repetitive, rhythmic motion of exercises like walking and running brings a serene mood and clarifies thinking. I've had all my best writing ideas when walking or running, and sometimes assign myself a particular problem to think over during a walk.

4. Sticking to an exercise regime raises your self-esteem for the very fact that you're sticking to an exercise regime.

5. Exercise offers a chance to be alone and uninterrupted--a relief if, like me, you're often surrounded by distractions. Or, if you prefer, exercise also offers a chance to get together with other people--a relief if, like me, you spend a lot of time working alone. I have both kinds of exercise during my week.

6. Regular exercise helps to keep your body chemicals in balance. When you experience stress, your body prepares for "fight or flight" with a huge number of biochemical reactions. A stressful event these days, however, is more likely to require a phone call than a sprint uphill. The potentially damaging byproducts of the stress response, such as cortisol, nevertheless continue to pump through the body, and exercise helps offset that effect.

7. Exercise helps you fall asleep more easily and sleep more deeply. The Big Man really notices this in himself.

8. Pure vanity can be a good motivator. Remember that people who exercise move more easily and energetically, and appear more youthful.

9. When I don't feel like exercising, I remind myself how lucky I am to be able to move easily and without pain--no wheelchair, no crutches, no brace, no trick knee or bad back.

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If you'd like to read more about happiness, check out Gretchen's daily blog, The Happiness Project, or sign up for her monthly newsletter.

Comments

[Agentlady007]

Pure vanity is a motivator? Method acting is easy for a lot of people if that's the case. Today we are obsessed with looking good and younger than springtime. Motivation is a key to life. As for exercise...I believe in resistance weight lifting. Resistance stretches. You can build muscle without machines. Weight loss...it's hard when you love nachos and the movies. Motivation is a panacea. No doubt. So is putting your sneakers next to your bed instead of your slippers. I think when you are rich in your soul, money is the least of your worries. As for getting your body back, thanks for posting this article.

[larry278]

Motivate is among the uglier words in American English; this blog shows why motivate is such an ugly word. The whole concept of motivation is grotesque in the extreme. It eschews the concepts of fun or pleasure to turn any activity into a duty. What about the pleasure when accomplishing a goal, the joy in working toward a goal. Now wonder that America & Americans are so damned dull & miserable.

[ecstewart]

Exactly! I never want to abuse the fact that my body -for the most part- is incredibly healthy and deserves to move. My art is better for it!

[67bug]

I've been trying to find a way to get in shape for years. I have chronic fatigue syndrome and sometimes just walking around the block will leave me exhausted for days. It is very frustrating as I am so deconditioned. I have joined gyms and the Y and I can't do the minimum exercise they give me. I belong to an HMO and they aren't helping me either. You guys are so lucky you can work out everyday!

[midwesthousewife]

I had chronic fatigue syndrome, three bouts, but have been free of it for many years now. I found exercise exacerbated my symptoms. The less I taxed my body, the better--including no exposure to chemical odors or alcohol, keeping away from foods whose consumption left me feeling weakened, and going to bed early. Eating something every hour kept my blood sugar steady. I took loads of vitamins, minerals, and herbs to rebuild my health. And acupuncture, lots of it. Good luck! It is possible to get over CFS.

[DennyCrane]

One other motivator I use. Exercise keeps you healthy. Getting sick in this country is becoming more and more expensive thanks to our rising health care costs. Pretty soon, health care will be a luxury good that most of us won't be able to afford. Too many of us take for granted that we have health insurance. We eat junk, knowing that it's bad for us, but in the back of our minds, we think if something happens, we have insurance to take care of us. Don't bet on it.

[AtomiClash]

Aside from stressing all the health benefits, I think one of the most important aspects of sticking to an exercise regime is finding a place to work-out that you're really comfortable in. I could NEVER go to the gym for years because of the hostile atmosphere at most places. Then I found my current gym, where everyone is awesome, friendly, and never ever judgmental. (It's like Cheers with stationary bikes, I swear!) That alone keeps me coming back.

[radiclib]

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This is a smart review of common-sense tips.
All true, too.
Thanks!
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[CatfishJohn]

...i'll vouch for that.!..and the more intense and vigrous the excercise the better...i am 52, have run 87,000 miles over the past 30 years , look 42 and can still play full court basketball with ex- college players in their 30's...the point being i was a good athlete in high shcool, but not a great one......a dogged dedication to intense cardiovascular excercise since is the key! push yourself cardiovascularly past your own percieved limits and the rewards will be seen and felt!...there are no panceas or fountains of youth, but vigorous excercise is as close as we can get and far better " in the long run" than cosmetic stop-gaps like botox and liposuction!

[cktirumalai]

You are quite right that while it is now universally known that exercise is good for you acting on the principle is the difficult part. My motivators: when I step on the scales I won't feel affronted; exercise is a natural elevator of mood, free from the side-effects of other chemicals; and one sleeps in a manner envied by Shakespeare's kings. I have almost reached the stage where I feel guilty after an exerciseless day.