Overview:
Many people start exercising but soon stop because they feel bored, or find that the results they desire appear slowly.
Motivational steps to help you keep exercising:
- Start with setting simple, realistic, achievable goals, then develop them into long-term goals. It is easy to feel frustrated and give up if the goals you have are difficult to achieve. For example, start with setting a goal to walk for 10 minutes a day for five days a week. Gradually develop this goal into walking for 30 minutes five days a week, until you reach the biggest desired goal.
- Make exercise a pleasant habit by choosing an enjoyable sport or a person you enjoy doing it with. For example, you can attend sports classes with a group of people. You can also choose a sport with competition in it (e.g. football, volleyball, or martial arts). Boredom is one of the main reasons why people stop exercising.
- Invite siblings, friends, or neighbors to join you as you do your favorite sport or ask them to come with you to the gym. You can even have them play football with you. You can also bring your children with you and exercise together.
- Make time for exercise as part of your daily routine like other important daily activities, such as working, studying or eating. You can even include simple changes within your daily lifestyle. This includes:
Using stairs instead of elevators;
Talking on the phone while walking;
Placing items you need far from your reach. A good example is placing a water bottle on a table across the room so you have to walk to get it.
Use a stationary bike or sports equipment while watching your favorite shows on TV.
- Give yourself self-rewards, as well as material rewards.
Self-rewards: Take a few minutes after exercising to enjoy the feeling of satisfaction a person feels after putting in the effort to exercise.
Material rewards: After you achieve a long-term goal, buy yourself something nice like a new pair of shoes that you love.
- If you are unable to devote 30 minutes or more to exercise every day, try to divide them throughout the day (e.g. 10 minutes in the morning, 10 minutes in the afternoon, 10 minutes at night [provided that it is two hours before bedtime]).
- Use aerobic exercises (e.g. running, jogging, and jumping) as a way to relieve stress. When you exercise, your body secretes a hormone that contributes to alleviating pain, which makes you feel better and more comfortable.