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Ah, exercise. It’s one of those things we all know should be part of our everyday life. Despite the numerous benefits of an active lifestyle, which most of us can list with ease, many of us struggle to make it part of our daily routine.
Setting fitness goals is much easier than achieving them, but that doesn’t mean the only time you’ll see rock-hard abs on your body is in your dreams. With a bit of effort and planning, putting on your running shoes for a jog can become muscle memory. Here are a few tips to make sure you don’t fall off the wagon:
Keep Your Alarm out of Arm’s Reach
Your alarm goes off to let you know it’s time to get out of bed and hit the road. But the feeling of a soft pillow under your head and a warm blanket over your body is too good to resist. So you grab your phone, switch off the alarm and whisper, “maybe tomorrow” before you slip back into slumber-mode. There’s an easy fix for this: put your phone on the other side of the room. Once you’re out of bed, you stand a better chance of committing to your routine than when you’re lying down.
Change Your Perspective
Why do you want to get fit? Is it to fit into a dress for a wedding, or to sport a pair of rock-hard abs to impress your crush? Exercising regularly should not be a short-term goal; it should be part of a lifestyle change. If you’re undoing years’ worth of bad habits, pace yourself. And don’t forget to tweak your diet, too. Stock up on fresh fruit and vegetables, healthy margarine, sunflower oil, [BO1] and sources of lean protein.
Use Social Media
A 13-week social media-based study made an interesting discovery. While most people claim that sharing your goals on the internet is a bad idea, the study suggests otherwise. The study found that your online followers and friends are a great source of support and accountability and can help you stick to your exercise routine. So go ahead and post your progress and give your online community a peek into your gym routine.
Think Outside the Box
Just because jogging and weightlifting aren’t your cups of tea, that doesn’t mean exercise isn’t for you. There are plenty of options available to you, so why not explore them? Do you love being outdoors? You could cycle, hike or play beach volleyball. Or maybe you’re a homebody? In that case, you could look up workout videos online or go for a swim.
Don’t Beat Yourself Up
There are times when you will genuinely have no energy to exercise, or your schedule will conflict with your workout routine. And on rare occasions, you just won’t feel up to it. When this happens, resist the urge to tell yourself off. If you fall off the saddle, the solution is simple: get up and try again.
Hopefully, these tips will help you sculpt your present body into the body of your dreams.