14 Nov 5 tips to get you more motivated to exercise

Sometimes the hardest part of getting fit is just getting started.
Other times, people can get in an exercise rut and burn out, while many people simply aren‘t as consistent as they’d like to be.
Wherever you’re at on the exercise curve, if you’re not doing as well as you’d like here are five tips to help you get more motivated:
1 Write down your goals – Saying your goals out loud isn’t enough. Writing them down will help you reinforce them and be there for you to look at regularly.
2 Chart your progress – Keep track of your workouts to help serve as a motivator and also chart your progress. Writing down an exercise log can also help you have better direction and makes it easier to tweak your workout program.
3 Visualize – Form a picture in your mind of how you want to look and what type of fitness things you want to be able to do. This can have a great effect on you to actually realize that mental picture.
4 Get help – It’s very tough to do anything all by yourself. If you can get a workout partner, and-or have family and friends support you, it will make things easier.
Things as simple as a spouse watching the kids for a few hours each week to help you get more time to exercise can make a big difference.
5 Keep it interesting – Learn different ways to change up your workout plan to keep it fresh. Maybe exercise on the treadmill three times a week, but also try to go to the park two other times when it’s nice out.
Another example would be to mix it up between riding an exercise bike, and actually going out on the trail on a bike when you have a little more time.

At Home Fitness consultant Aaron Dorksen’s blog deals with a variety of fitness topics, ranging from workout tips, motivational ideas and feature stories on how exercise impacts people’s lives. E-mail him with comments, questions or ideas for future blogs at aaron@athomefitness.com