How to Motivate Yourself to Begin Exercising After a Long Break

Have you fallen into an exercise rut? It happens to everyone at some point or another. Even athletes can fall into a sedentary lifestyle. Many times it can be referred to as "letting yourself go." You may have put on several pounds of weight and have no desire to exercise.

As you know, lack of physical activity can take a toll on your health. The heart is a muscle and when it isn't worked out, it can lead to heart disease. Your muscles need resistance and when they are not pushed, they can atrophy. When you eat more calories than you burn off, you gain weight, which leads to stomach fat.

It is human nature to avoid things that are not fun. We gravitate towards things that bring joy into our lives. Exercise doesn't usually rank high on the list of fun things to do for a majority of people. The following motivational tips may help you to break out of your exercise rut and get moving again.

Get a Check Up - Don't be afraid to visit your doctor for an annual physical. Let your doctor know that you want to begin exercising again and he or she can provide your with cholesterol levels and what your ideal weight should be. Having your doctor recommend you lose weight is often a good motivational factor because you realize that your health really depends on it.

Start Off Easy - The last thing you want to do is jump into an exercise program when you haven't exercised in years. Start off light with brisk walking for 30 minutes a day. Work up to an hour and eventually into a light jog. If you can, move on to running.

Get Some Music - Music is one of the most motivational tools you can use. There is nothing like hearing your favorite songs to make the time fly by as you're working out. Your playlist may even push you harder which is good. Invest in an MP3 player and load up your favorite tunes.

Become an Expert - Have you always wanted to try something new? No matter how out of shape you are, you can become a pro at a new activity with the right training. How about martial arts, bodybuilding, or tennis? Whatever your goal, you will get into great shape and become an expert at the same time.

Try Something New - Exercise can be boring so it's good to change it up with fun activities like swimming, bicycling, or even rock climbing. Add variety whenever you can and exercise will never feel boring again.

The last tip is to make exercise a habit. Try to do a little something each day for thirty days straight. Eventually, being physically active will become like second nature and you will feel awkward when you haven't got in a workout.

Exercising on a regular basis will do so much good for your body and overall health. You may not see it now, but take it one step at a time. Over time, you will see results!

Eartha Haines is a fitness enthusiast and shares exercise and general health tips over at her fitness blog. Subscribe to the RSS feed and get updates automatically!

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